


The Moondrop

by Aria_Caelan



Category: Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Black Rocks, Dark Kingdom, Gen, Gothel is alive, Major Character Injury, Moon Powers Varian (Disney), Moon theory (Tangled), Sundrop - Freeform, Temporary Character Death, moondrop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 02:59:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 31,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17541389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Caelan/pseuds/Aria_Caelan
Summary: Only two weeks after been thrown to prison, Varian's dreams are haunted by memories of his past, as well as a cold, female voice which also happens to terrify Rapunzel, who is still following the rocks with a newfound sense of uneasiness.What will happen when Varian is forcefully broken out of prison and captured?Will Rapunzel make it in time to rescue him?Read and find out!PD: You might have already read this from my account in Wattpad (I’m Calypso_9)COMPLETED





	1. 14 years ago...

It had been eleven years since the last time Quirin had seen the opal, eleven years since he had watched as it almost destroyed King Edmund. That day, he'd promised himself to never return to the Dark Kingdom. And yet, there he was, back to the cursed place where no one was supposed to be.  
But that time, he was there for a different reason other than to protect the opal from being discovered.  
He was there to end the problem, once and for all.  
His wife and newborn son were also there, something he deeply regretted. But that misterios woman had been clear, she needed a child for the procedure. Varian was that child.  
She said it would cause no harm to the baby, that they just had to cut the hair afterwards and it would be as if nothing had happened.  
Quirin patted the clippers in his pocket and looked at his wife.  
Her auburn hair had been neatly pulled in her usual tight bun, but unlike any other day, she wasn't smiling. In fact, Quirin had never seen her so nervous, it made him feel guilty. He knew she hadn't been pleased when he'd explained the plan to her, and neither she was in that moment. You only had to see how she clutched the baby in her arms to know she was afraid.  
Quirin's eyes were now placed on his only son's small shape. He was starting to doubt if all that was a good idea himself.  
He shook his head.  
For the Dark Kingdom, he thought.  
"I'm sorry for being late, you weren't kidding when you said this place was almost unreachable" came a woman's voice from behind the family.  
Quirin recognized the black curly hair and red dress instantly. She was also wearing a hood, which partially covered her face in shadows.  
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Gothel" he slightly bowed.  
His wife pulled Varian closer as she frowned.  
Gothel took a step forward and smiled, a fake unsettling smile, in Quirin's opinion.  
"Oh, please" she said smoothly as she pulled the hood back "you can just call me Gothel"  
She then locked eyes with Quirin's wife and extended her arms.  
"Shall we proceed?" she asked her.  
The woman took one last glance at her son and kissed his forehead before handing it over to the witch. Quirin squeezed her hand in support.  
"I think it would be better if you waited here until it's over" he whispered in her ear.  
She nodded slightly.  
"You'd better not hurt him" she warned Gothel with a cold voice.  
Gothel examined the baby in her hands, which was currently staring at her curiously with his big round-shaped eyes.  
"Don't worry, dear, your baby is in good hands" she responded.  
She looked at her husband, as if knowing it would be the last time. "Take care of him".  
She then let her hand slip from his and walked out of the Dark Kingdom's hall.

Quirin and Gothel walked in silence until reaching their destination, the meteorite. And inside of it and covered with a blue glow, was the opal.  
Gothel's smile widened in a way Quirin was tempted to take the baby away from her.  
She placed Varian in the dark floor next to the meteorite while the baby yawned and looked at his dad.  
Quirin smiled at him, hoping he would interpret it as if everything was okay.  
"Now, I'd like you to step back and let me do my thing, do NOT interrupt me" Gothel said pushing Quirin back.  
"But..."  
"No buts, I know better" she replied harshly.  
Quirin swallowed a reply and just waited were she'd told him.  
"It will all be over soon" he muttered to himself.  
He watched as Gothel pulled her hood back on place and kneeled facing the baby.  
She cleared her throat, and then, at Quirin's amazement, Gothel started singing:

"Power shine and flow...  
Lead me through the night,  
Help me if I'm lost,  
tell me what's wrong, what's right...

Heal me when I'm hurt,  
shield from Fate's design.  
Guide those who need route  
tell me what's wrong, what's right...

..What's wrong, what's right?..."

Before Quirin could even blink, the opal had started shining. Energy seemed to flow through it and reach Varian, whose hair was slowly turning white. But something was wrong, his eyes had started closing, and Gothel didn't seem like she was going to stop singing.  
The place was all shaking, dark rocks being sliced each time energy escaped. The palace was about to rumble down, what would his wife be thinking right now?  
The light now came from both Varian and the opal, Quirin was going to tackle Gothel and stop the chanting... But suddenly, he was blinded by a light explosion. 

When Quirin's eyes adjusted after the explosion, the first thing he did was to look for his son.  
That wasn't too difficult, as he was now the only source of light in the room.  
Quirin took Varian in his arms, whose hair was now a shiny white and blue. He didn't seem hurt, in fact, he was laughing. His blue eyes reflected the glow from his hair like a mirror, it was something incredible and imposible.  
But then, the surprised father remembered what had to be done.  
He took the clippers from his pocket and prepared himself to cut the baby's hair. That was, until Gothel snapped the scissors from his hand and sent them flying across the room.  
"What do you think you are doing!?" she exclaimed infuriated.  
Quirin's surprise turned into anger in a split second.  
"This is what we agreed, Gothel" he said sternly "to save The Dark Kingdom and to save the world..."  
"We also agreed you would give me whatever I asked after the job was done" the witch cut him off.  
Quirin paled, suddenly aware of what Gothel really wanted.  
"You swore it" she remembered him. "and I want the baby"  
He looked at the baby and scowled.  
"There's no way I'm giving you my son" he responded furiously.  
There was a moment when Quirin thought Gothel might try to take Varian from him, but that only lasted one second replaced by Gothel's cold reply.  
"I think you don't quite get it, dear" she said calmly "you're breaking and oath with a witch, you know what that might mean to you?"  
"I know it means I won't have to give my son to a crazy woman like you!" Quirin grumbled.  
She scoffed. "Suit yourself, don't say I didn't warn you" 

After that, Gothel disappeared, literally. The only thing left from her was her black hood. Quirin cut the baby's hair except for a blue streak the scissors weren't able to cut.  
He then took Varian in his arms and happily went to look for his wife.  
What Quirin saw left him destroyed, the entire palace had fallen into pieces, there was nothing left. Not even her.  
Quirin stayed there for another three days until he was sure she couldn't have survived.  
He sadly remembered Gothel's warning.  
That was the price he was paying for breaking an oath with a witch.  
And even though the sadness in his heart was almost unbearable and he had been left alone to rise his son. He knew it had been the right choice.  
Four words were repeated in his mind, her last words: Take care of him.  
"I will" he promised.


	2. Prison

The sun raised outside the walls of the castle, awakening its villagers and royalty, marking the beginning of yet another wonderful day in the happy kingdom of Corona...  
Or was it?  
Inside the deepest dungeons of the castle, at the highest level and most secure prison in the entire kingdom,Varian, a troubled fourteen-year-old got a few glimpses of sunlight through his cell's window.   
He stretched his arms and got up from his uncomfortable bed, taking a piece of chalk he'd found and adding another line to the ones already drawn on the black wall.   
12 days.   
It had been almost two weeks since they threw him in that dark and stinky hole.   
They had taken all his chemistry materials, the guards being instructed to take away any kind of glass or container whenever he'd finished using it.   
Now all he had left was Rudiger.   
And it wasn't as if he was much of a great company. The raccoon hadn't been as close to him since he'd mutated it.   
So basically, he had nothing. No parents, no friends... only anger, and deep down, guilt.   
But he couldn't accept the guilt, he couldn't accept the real reason of his dad being encased by the rocks had being his disobedience. That would break him, he had to keep it together.   
And plan how to escape.   
He wished he hadn't refused to be treated better than the other prisoners the first day, then he wouldn't be in the area of dangerous criminals, and at least he would have crayons and paper for his evil plans.  
He had been so furious he forgot to think clearly.   
"You awake, kiddo?"   
Varian looked at the cell in front of him, there, a man with a ponytail sat in the exact same position as him. Andrew. The same guy that had once been Cassandra's boyfriend. Not that he cared.  
"Nah, I just like sleeping with my eyes open"  
"Sarcastic, I see" Andrew turned around "then I guess you don't want to know about the escape plan"   
He arched a brow, tilting his head slightly. "What escape plan?"   
Andrew flashed his perfect smile, knowing he had picked on the alchemist’s interest.  
"Lady Caine said she might be able to acquire some chemicals"   
Varian's eyes widened. "Seriously? Wait, how are you going to get them? Never mind, I don't care. I'll need water, a container and any kind of alkali metal: potassium, lithium, sodium... or ammonium chloride and chloride gas, that will be harder to get but It'll cause a greater explosion..."  
"Woah, calm down, kid" Andrew laughed, if not rather forcefully. "I can tell you like explosions, but you aren't the one who will take care of this, too risky, we just need some ideas"  
Now it was Varian's turn to laugh.  
"Well, unless you want to kill everyone in this prison, you'd better let me handle the volatile chemicals"  
Andrew shook his head. "I'm offering you a way of getting out of this prison, either you take it or I can just let you here to rot until the princess says so"  
Varian clenched his teeth, he still got mad every time someone mentioned Rapunzel. It was her fault, he would get revenge and save his dad, whatever it took. Even if it insulted his scientist’s pride.  
"Fine" he grumbled. "I'll help you"

 

Rapunzel's POV:

Adira had warned them some days ago, they were close to their destination. They were close to the Dark Kingdom, to reveal the secret of the moondrop and stop it from spreading.   
It was her destiny, Rapunzel knew it. But then, why did it feel like they were going in the wrong direction? She had been feeling that way for some time, and the fact that she couldn't control the rocks anymore made her kind of nervous. As if something bad was about to happen.  
"Hey, blondie, you okay?" Eugene asked right next to her.  
She forced a smile. "Yeah, just a little tired, I guess"   
She hadn't told him about her dreams, about how the opal may not be the moondrop anymore. And the song, the one with the same melody as hers but different lyrics. 

Power shine and flow...  
Lead me through the night.  
Help me if I'm lost,  
tell me what's wrong, what's right...

Heal me when I'm hurt,  
shield from Fate's design.  
Guide those who needs route,  
tell me what's wrong, what's right...

..What's wrong, what's right?...

The whole song sounded as if something was supposed to guide her, but where?   
Maybe it was the moondrop's versión of the song, the one that Gothel had magically written.   
Rapunzel frowned in determination. Whatever all those dreams meant, she would find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Just so you know, this story is already finished so you won’t have to wait too much for updates.   
> Also, feel free to tell me if I have made any mistakes, I’m still learning English.


	3. Dreams

Lady Caine’s POV:

She was dreaming.  
Floating in the protection of her mind while sleeping, forgetting all her troubles and concerns, very far away from her prison cell... or at least that was what Lady Caine was doing until she appeared.   
The lady in the black hood.   
At first, Lady Caine thought she was just a dream, someone she had once met and never really forgotten. Well, she was right about that, she had already met the lady in the hood before, even if she couldn't recall it. But she wasn't a dream, not even a nightmare. Gothel was pretty real, and she was alive.   
"You again?" asked Lady Caine with a bit of annoyance.  
"Me again" the witch responded.   
Lady Caine shifted her weight from leg to leg, something about that woman made her feel... uncomfortable.   
"Well, did you get those chemicals you promised?"  
"I did" Gothel nodded. "and if you don't mind, I would like to ask you something now, dear"  
Lady Caine said nothing.  
"From whom did you get that list you showed me?" the witch asked, as if already knowing the answer.   
She waved the air with her hand dismissively. "I don't think that is relevant"  
"Oh, but it is" replied Gothel calmly.  
Lady Caine seemed to catch the warning tone in her voice because she responded immediately, though she tried to say it casually. It was never good to show any weakness to strangers, after all.  
"Some kid who tried to destroy Corona gave it to Andrew, I think his name was Darian or something like that" she said looking at her fingernails.   
Gothel nodded, a huge and creepy grin spreading in her face.   
"Remember you asked me the first day what I wanted in exchange for the help?" the woman in the hood asked.   
Lady Caine looked at her arching a brow.  
"I want that kid" she ordered. "once you get out of there you will bring him for me"  
"What makes you think I won't just run away when I'm out of this place?"   
Gothel laughed as she pulled her curly black hair out of her face.   
"You made a promise with a witch, sweetheart, don't you think you can just run away from something like that"

Rapunzel's POV:

In her dream, Rapunzel stood silently between a forest of dark stones. She could see nothing but the full moon over her head. Whispers followed her everywhere she went, as well as that strange feeling that she was interpreting the situation in the wrong way.   
"Face your fears" some shadow said at her right. "Follow you're destiny"  
"The sundrop will heal" a woman's voice whispered in her ear, a shiver run through Rapunzel's spine.  
"At last" it giggled.  
Rapunzel run through the black rocks even faster.  
"Don't run away" the voice followed.  
"You CAN'T run away" someone added.  
"Turn around"  
"Wrong direction"  
She turned around and started running in the opposite direction, covering her ears and grasping for breath. That voice, the one that continued telling her she was doing everything wrong, why did it sound so familiar?   
"Not that way!"  
"Shut up!" Rapunzel yelled. "I'm going the right way!"  
"That's what you think"  
"YOU ARE WRONG"  
"No! the...the black rocks will guide me..."  
"The black rocks will show you the truth"  
"BUT NOT THE RIGHT WAY"  
"You're lying!"  
Rapunzel continued to follow the path, but as she advanced, the space between the dark rocks started to narrow. The air was colder the further she run, her bare feet were tired of running through that cold and dark floor.  
"Don't you see there's nothing left?" the echoey voice insisted with a bored tone. "The moondrop is no longer here"  
"No!"   
She continued to run, but the moon had suddenly disappeared, she was in complete darkness.  
And there was nothing left.  
In the end, the dark rocks had been right all along, the moondrop was no longer in the Dark Kingdom. 

Varian's POV:

Varian had never had any trouble with nightmares. In fact, he was pretty sure he had never dreamed anything before.   
His father used to say he just always forgot what he had dreamed the moment he woke up, but the truth was, he slept like the death.   
One moment he was falling asleep and the next thing he remembered was waking up in the morning. No dreams. Ever.   
Well, or at least that was before he entered in prison.   
Since then, the same nightmare repeated itself each and every night. And it wasn't a pleasant experience.  
It always started in his lab, he was mixing some chemicals over a black rock. Varian had tried with any kind of acid he knew, but he was sure he had it that time. The mystery of the black rocks would finally be revealed. All Corona would thank him for saving them and his father would finally be proud of him.   
But then everything went wrong.  
The chemical reaction wasn't the one he had expected, it didn't neutralize the rocks, it made them grew even faster!  
His father entered in the room and saved him before the rocks encased him, but instead, he was the one trapped. Varian saw horrified as the amber grew until it completely covered his dad, who was trying to tell him something.   
But that wasn't the worst part.  
The worst part were the whispers.   
"How could you let this happen?" A high pitched voice growled from behind him.  
"Who are you?"  
Varian spun around, pointing at that direction with his glowing staff, but there was nobody there. Only a black rock, reflecting the full moon above it like a mirror.  
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"  Someone shouted in another direction. Again, the only thing there was another rock. "Look what you just did!"  
"It...it wasn't me!" Varian stammered. The light of his staff begun to die, the moon and the dark rocks that reflected it were the only thing he could see.  
"Wasn't it?"  
"Who disobeyed his father and played with the black rocks?"  
"YOU!"  
"But I was just trying to help..." he murmured, realizing that more rocks were starting to appear.  
"How did that work for you?"  
"You're just a puny little kid trying to play hero!"  
"Or villain"  another voice added.  
At that comment, all voices started to laugh at him. An evil echoey laugh that surrounded Varian.  
"I'm not a villain!" he retorted.  
"BUT YOU'RE USELESS" the voice giggled.  
"That's... not true" Varian took a step back, only to found another black rock.   
"You couldn't save you're father" someone else said "You couldn't keep your friends"  
"Now he's going to stay trapped for ever!" the high pitched voice said with satisfaction.   
"No, I...I will save him" Varian whimpered. He frantically tried to find and exit, touching the rocks with his hands. But there wasn't an exit, he was trapped.   
The voices started laughing again, Varian covered his ears, but the sound didn't even lost intensity. It was as if the voices were in his head, growing louder, more vicious.  
"Ah!" he screamed. A black rock had erupted from the ground and made a deep gash in his leg, he fell to the floor. The pain crawled through his leg, he groaned.  
"Is he going to cry?"   
"PATHETIC"  
"He can't even safe himself"   
"NO ONE LOVES YOU!"  
The black rocks covered Varian, suffocating him, the echo of what they'd said repeating in his head.  
"Stop it!" he cried clutching at his hurt leg "Leave me alone!"  
That was when the darkness encased him completely.  
The last thing he saw was the full moon over his head, somehow, comforting him.  
Then, he woke up.  
There was a guard shaking him and saying his name. "Wake up, kid!"   
"No...I" He panted, his eyes shot open.   
It took him a moment to realize were he was and what had happened.   
Varian stood up and cleaned the tears from his eyes. He was shivering uncontrollably and covered in sweat.   
"You had a nightmare" the thin guard said empathically. Andrew, who was in the cell in front of him, rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Do you want to talk about it?"  
Varian shook his head slowly.   
It was enough embarrassing that he had screamed and cried loud enough to wake up the guards, he wasn't going to talk about his feelings.  
Something furry and warm then jumped onto his lap, Rudiger.   
Varian petted it, happy his raccoon had finally forgiven him.  
"I'm okay" Varian finally said with a raspy voice.


	4. In theory

"Look, I'm just saying that..."  
"No"  
"But the dream..."  
"NO"   
"I'm telling the truth!" Rapunzel insisted.  
Cassandra sighed.  
"Look, Rapunzel, I'm not saying you are lying, it's just that..."  
"We have travelled all the way from Corona and we aren't going to turn around just because you had a dream?" Eugene intervened from the campsite.  
"Exactly" Cassandra nodded.  
Rapunzel's shoulders dropped. She had been hopping her best friend would help her interpret the meaning of her nightmare.  
The lady-in-waiting put a hand on her best friends shoulder.  
"I know that nightmare freaked you out, but couldn't it just be... well, a nightmare? You've been through a lot of stress lately, not all dreams have to have a magical meaning" she remembered her.  
Rapunzel pulled a lock of hair behind her ear, thinking.   
"You may be right, but..."  
Suddenly, Adira appeared from the bushes, holding a lot of apples impaled on her dark stone sword. She took an apple from the rest and started biting it as she walked closer to the two girls.   
"Want some fruit?" Adira asked with the mouth full.  
None of them answered.   
"Was it something I said?"  
The lady-in-waiting crossed her arms, a serious look in her face.  
"Rapunzel wants to go back to Corona, she thinks the moondrop is no longer in the Dark Kingdom" Cassandra said.   
"It's not like that!" The princess protested.  
Adira looked surprised.  
"Why would you think that?" she asked as Rapunzel fiddled with her fingers nervously.   
"I just had this crazy dream about the black rocks, and whispers, and someone telling me the moondrop wasn't in the Dark Kingdom, and then I went there and the voice was right and..." she almost blurted.  
"Okay, calm down, there is NO way the opal has been removed" Adira responded with complete certainty.  
"That's what I've been trying to tell her" Cassandra rolled her eyes.  
"But I'm the sundrop" Rapunzel said.  
"What's your point?" Eugene asked as he took one apple from Adira's sword.  
"I don't know... maybe the moondrop isn't the opal anymore, maybe..."  
"Maybe what?" the warrior inquired arching a brow.  
Rapunzel took a deep breath, readying herself for the crazy theory she was about to suggest.  
"Maybe the moondrop is no longer a thing, but a person".

Varian's POV:

There were two main things Varian hated about being in prison: the first one was the fact that there weren't any ham sandwiches, the other were Queen Arianna's visits.  
She came almost every afternoon.  
The guards would always handcuff and drag him to a small pink room with a window, they would sit at each of his sides to secure Queen Ariannas safety. And then, she'd just talk and try to make him talk. But Varian never talked and never tried to open himself, he'd rather lick the floor of his cell than share his 'feelings', specially with the Queen.  
That day, Queen Arianna was holding a notebook, she stared at him intently, almost... like she was really concerned.  
"I heard you've been having some nightmares lately" she said.   
Varian shot a poisonous glare at Stan, who probably had told her. The guard shifted uncomfortably.  
"Would you like to talk about it?" the Queen asked.  
He ignored her, looking at the window.  
Queen Arianna sighed.  
"I know you are still angry, but you can't continue this way"   
Varian huffed in response. "I can and I will"  
She frowned, drumming with the pencil against her notebook.  
"And where will that lead you?" she whispered "If you continue trapping yourself in your own mind, what will be left of you? Is this how you really want to be? Who _are_ you, Varian?"  
For the first time, he looked at her square in the eye.  
"I'm someone who's already trapped in a prison cell"  
Arianna frowned. She put a hand in one of his shoulders, which he immediately shook off.  
"Have you been sleeping? You look tired" the Queen asked.  
And he _was_ tired, some days ago he had decided it was better for him not to sleep instead of having all those nightmares.   
He had looked at himself in the reflection of his googles, pale from the lack of sun, dark circles around his eyes, he was also a lot thinner for the prison ‘food’. Varian almost didn't recognize his own reflection, he looked sick.  
"You should be getting more sleep" the Queen insisted with concern.  
"Whatever" he just responded.  
Arianna suddenly stopped drumming with the pencil, in fact, everything seemed to freeze.The birds flying across the windows, the guards... everything. It was as if time itself had stopped.  
"What the...?"   
That is when he heard it.  
The voice.  
" _It's nice to see you again, Varian_ "  
Varian jumped from his chair, which fell to the floor without making a noise.  
"Who...who are you? Show yourself!" he yelled.  
The female voice laughed bitterly.  
" _But I can't, can I?_ " she said with a note of suppressed anger in her voice " _Rapunzel made sure of that_ "  
Rapunzel. Varian clenched his teeth.  
"Oh, I forgot, you also hate her" the echoey voice giggled "good"  
He frowned, confused.  
"Why is that good? Who are you? Are you the one that has been causing my nightmares? " he asked, searching the room with his eyes.  
" _Tsk tsk tsk, too many questions_ " said the woman's voice " _I just need you to know something_ "  
Varian pulled his handcuffed hands into fists, waiting.   
" _Firstly, yes, I am the one that's been causing your nightmares, and believe me when I say they won't stop_ " she told him with a calm yet unsettling tone.   
The blood drained from Varian's face. They weren't going to stop.   
" _Secondly, know that you'll eventually work for me, so don't try to struggle or you'll get hurt_ " she added with a hint of menace.  
He swallowed the lump on his throat, maybe he was just hallucinating. That could happen to people that had been to much time in prison, right?   
Don't be an idiot, he thought, you've only been here for fifteen days.  
" _And thirdly, try to act natural, don't tell anybody about this or you'll pay_ "  
And with that last threaten, everything returned to its place, the time continued to flow and Varian found himself sitting in the same chair he had been before his conversation with the voice.  
Queen Arianna gave him a strange look.  
"Varian?"  
He didn't answer, his mouth parted slightly, trying to find the words to try and explain what had just happened.  
"Varian!"   
The Queen shook him by the shoulders slightly. Varian couldn't move, but he had to tell her.  
"Stan, call the doctor, I think there's something wrong with him!" she told him with alarm.  
"Queen Arianna..." Varian tried to say.  
He suddenly felt some cold pressure in his neck, as if someone with really cold hands was trying to choke him. " _...I wouldn't do it if I were you..._ " he heard the voice whisper.  
The cold, invisible hand squeezed his throat, Varian gasped.  
"What's wrong Varian?" The Queen inquired, kneeling in front of him while wearing a preoccupied look.  
"No...nothing" he managed to murmur.  
As soon as he'd said it, the pressure in his neck disappeared. That will surely leave a mark, Varian thought.   
"Are you sure? You are so pale!" The queen exclaimed "what did just happen, Varian?"  
He shook off her hands from his shoulders. Fantastic, the one time he wanted to talk to the Queen a ghost came and tried to kill him. Typical.  
"Can I go back to my cell?" he asked, rubbing his neck. Arianna seemed to notice the gesture, but she nodded.  
The guards then escorted him to his prison cell, he was left alone, wondering when and for what would the voice come for him. Had it been an hallucination? Had he just imagined it because he was going insane?  
He watched his reflection on his googles.   
Varian gasped as he watched the back of his neck, which had a red mark of a hand on it.  
Okay, that was creepy, and definitely NOT a hallucination.  
"Magic..." Varian whispered with fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think?  
> I know they are kinda short, but it gets better.   
> Please comment!


	5. Something wrong

Arianna's POV:

Each day that passed, Arianna had started to grow more worried about Varian. The guards had recently reported that the boy spent most part of the nights awake, and that the only moments when he was really sleeping he was haunted by terrible nightmares.   
Varian had grown paler and thinner, and the Queen was having an even harder time trying to communicate with him.   
He always seemed nervous and afraid, as if he was waiting for something horrible to happen.   
But what could that be? And what kind of terrible nightmares could a fourteen-year-old experience that he preferred to stop sleeping rather than to have them?  
The Queen Arianna didn't know what to do, and she really wanted to help the poor boy.   
She had already talked about Varian with her husband in multiple occasions, but he was as out of ideas as her.  
Maybe a more understanding approach would do it, maybe if she showed she cared, Varian would open up and talk to her.

That day, Queen Arianna went to visit Varian in the morning.  
Her heart sank a little when she saw the state in which he was. He needs my help, Queen Arianna thought, he's made a lot of wrong choices, but I'm not giving up on him yet.  
"I don't think the handcuffs will be necessary anymore" she said out loud.  
Everyone in the room looked at her in surprise: The guards, every prisoner close enough to hear what they where saying... but the one that looked more surprised was Varian. He looked at her with his big round-shaped blue eyes, suspiciously.  
The guards escorted them to the same room they always went, the one with the big window from which they could see the sunrise.   
Varian sat on the same chair as always, two guards standing at both of his sides.  
Queen Arianna looked at them.  
Show him you trust him, she thought.  
"Guards, could you please wait at the door?" she said softly.  
One of them opened his mouth to protest.   
The Queen held her hand up to shush him. "He is just a kid, he doesn't even have weapons" Arianna explained "you wait outside, I'll call if I need help"  
Stan and Pete nodded, eyeing Varian as if he could blow up at any moment.  
When the guards were gone, she sat in her chair. Varian had said nothing, he was just staring at the floor.   
"Why?" he asked, his voice quavered. "I kidnapped you, almost got you encased on the black rocks and tried to destroy your family... why don't you hate me?"  
Queen Arianna was taken aback.   
She didn't hate him, that was right, but should she? He had caused a lot of damage in her Kingdom, endangering lots of innocent people with his automatons. But at the same time, he was just a kid, moved by pain and loss... and he was so lonely, and he looked so vulnerable. She just couldn't bring herself to hate him.  
"I want to help you, Varian" she said calmly. "But I can't if you don't tell me what's going on"  
Varian bit his lip, avoiding her eyes and fiddling nervously with his fingers.   
"You can talk to me" the Queen said as she put a hand on top of his.   
She was expecting him to pull away like he always did, but he didn't, he just stayed there looking even more nervous (if that was possible).  
"I can't tell you..." he finally sighed.  
"Why?" She insisted.  
Varian shook his head. "She would hurt me if I did"   
Queen Arianna's eyebrows shot up in surprise.  
"Who?"  
His eyes scanned the room in fear.   
"Varian, who?" The queen repeated "there is nobody in here, just you and me, you can tell me"  
He didn't answer at first.   
Queen Arianna remained still, afraid if she moved Varian would change his mind.  
"Was she the reason you where so scared the other day?"   
Varian nodded.  
He looked at both of his sides before finally talking in a quiet voice.  
"She says she will come and get me in a few days, that I would bring her back to live and..."   
He suddenly yelped in pain and away from her, his chair fell to the floor with a noisy thud. Varian clutched his arm, dropping to his knees.   
"Varian!" Queen Arianna exclaimed.  
She hurried to kneel next to him and took his arm, which gave her and unpleasant sense of coldness. Varian winced.   
And that's when she saw it, a deep line that run from his inner elbow to his wrist, as if someone had cut him with an invisible dagger, to prevent him from speaking.  
Queen Arianna's dress and the floor were now both painted in the boy's blood, his face turned white.  
"Guards! Come here!" She shouted desperately.  
The two men ran in with their swords in their hands. They both dropped them when they saw what was going on.   
"Quick, bring something to stop the bleeding!" she ordered as she hold an unconscious Varian in her arms.


	6. The truth

Rapunzel's POV:

Everybody had laughed when she suggested that the power of the moondrop may have been trespassed to another person, like it had occurred to her. Adira had been the one to laugh the most, saying that what she had hypothesized was both stupid and unlikely. And know that she thought about it, Rapunzel admitted she might be wrong.   
After all, the Dark Kingdom had been impenetrable and imposible to find for decades. The only ones that knew how to find it where Quirin and Adira, and both of them knew better than to try and mess with the opal.   
It was a stupid idea, completely ridiculous, Rapunzel decided.   
But then, why hadn't the dreams stopped?   
In her nightmare, she would always run towards the opal, only to find anything but darkness in there. And the whispers, they always told her she was going in the opposite direction. Their voice always seemed so frustratingly familiar, but Rapunzel just couldn't place it.   
It was starting to get annoying, having to listen to the voices insult her every single night.   
She could try to run in the direction they told her. But for some reason, that option seemed to scare her even more. What or who could be in the other end?   
Rapunzel shivered, she wasn't ready to find out. Not yet. She would listen to her friends and go to the Dark Kingdom to try to reveal the secret of the opal. Even though her instinct told her that wasn't the solution, she'd have to try.   
"Rapunzel!"   
She looked behind her, only to find Adira.   
"We've reached our destination" she announced solemnly.  
Rapunzel's eyes widened, she jumped out of the cart and run next to Eugene.   
Her mouth hang open when she saw the incredible building right in front of them. It was covered in black rocks, corrupted and destroyed, and yet, Rapunzel couldn't help but think it held some beauty in it.   
Cassandra whistled. "Those are a lot of black rocks"  
"No kidding" her boyfriend Eugene nodded.   
Adira stepped aside with a gloomy look in her eyes.   
She looked at Rapunzel.  
"Welcome to the Dark Kingdom"

Varian's POV:

Varian sat in the uncomfortable bed of his prison cell, his arm bandaged and stitched from the incident two days ago.   
He still shuddered every time he remembered it.  
Varian had been persuaded by the Queen to talk, something the voice had specially warned him not to do.   
But Varian had been desperate, he felt as if he was going insane, he couldn't stand it anymore.   
That horrible feeling which the voices had given a name. Loneliness.   
Queen Arianna had trusted him, she made him feel as if he wasn't completely alone. As if there was still some hope for him.   
He should have known better.   
Varian had started to explain what the voice wanted, about the prison break, even thought the woman kept telling him what she would do if he said something in his dreams.   
Then, a cold hand made of air gripped his shoulder.   
" _Bad choice_..." she whispered evilly in his ear.   
Next thing he knew, an unbearable wave of pain shot him from his arm. His entire body started to feel cold, all he could see was blood. He heard Queen Arianna panic, she took his arm, making it hurt even more. She had called the guards for help... then, it all turned black.   
Varian woke up in a bed with white sheets at the infirmary, a guard told him he had been unconscious and with high fever for 24 hours. He spent another day in that comfy bed, before returning to prison.  
The more Varian thought about it, the more scared and trapped he felt. And that was saying something since he was currently in prison.   
It had been a warning.   
That ghost-witch-woman (whatever she was) was capable of hurting him, to make him sick and probably end his life.   
And she wanted him, she would get him after the prison break and he couldn't tell this to Queen Arianna without getting cut by an invisible dagger.   
What could he possibly do to get out of that situation?   
Nothing, he realized somberly.  
All he could do was wait, and maybe make another attempt with Queen Arianna.   
That witch couldn't kill him, it was pretty obvious she needed him alive, but he was a afraid of what she could do to him.   
There where many kinds of torture that didn't actually mean death.   
He hide his head in his arms and curled up in a ball, Rudiger jumped next to him and let Varian stroke his fur with his bandaged hand.   
Varian let some tears he had been containing fall silently down his cheeks, he couldn't let Andrew in the cell in front of his see his weakness. Even thought he wasn't that close and he spent most of the time sleeping after working with the rest of the prisoners.   
"Varian?"   
He recognized the soft voice immediately. Queen Arianna.   
He wiped his tears against his shirt before looking at her, his face as blank as he could make it look.   
The Queen wasn't accompanied by the guards this time, she gripped one of the bars of the cell and sighed.   
"I'm not sure what happened the other day" the Queen muttered "but I'm not going to force you to speak if that's going to cause you any kind of trouble"  
Varian let out the air he had been holding with relief.  
"Just to make things clear" Arianna said "you said someone, I believe you specified it was a woman, wanted you so that she could come back to live, that she would get you in a few days, am I right?"  
He considered if he should answer, the Queen already knew it, she was just trying to confirm it.   
Varian finally nodded.   
The Queen took a moment to think. "Why would anyone want _you_ specifically to come back to live?" She asked herself out loud. "Is that even possible?"  
He remained in silence, extending his legs and putting Rudiger on his lap.   
Finally, Queen Arianna dropped her hand from the metal bars and looked him directly in the eye. "I'll talk to the king about this" she informed him "Don't worry, we'll find a solution" The Queen added in a more comforting tone.


	7. Action

Rapunzel's POV:

Their journey had finally come to an end.   
There they where, in the Dark Kingdom, home of the opal containing the moondrop power.   
Adira guided them through columns of dark rocks, each one narrower than the last one.   
"Jeez, guys, I don't think Hookfoot and I are going to fit through that" Lance commented as he pointed to the space left between two rocks.   
Hookfoot looked down at his own stomach, looking slightly offended. "You're probably right" he nodded with resignation.  
Cassandra put one hand on one of the rocks impatiently.   
"Then you'd better return to the caravan, we'll tell you what happened when we come back"  
"If we come back" Eugene added cheerfully.   
"Quit talking and move it!" They all heard Adira calling.   
Rapunzel wasn't very comfortable with splitting up the group, specially since they all were in a banned kingdom corrupted by black rocks. But eventually, she accepted it. There's not gonna be anything there anyways, she found herself thinking.   
After two hours of walking between black rocks, as in Rapunzel's dream, they reached the palace. Adira was more than surprised with what they found.   
"The place is almost demolished!" She said breathlessly while gapping at the main hall.   
"Wasn't it supposed to be that way?" Rapunzel asked.   
"Well, yeah, but that was after king Edmund tried to touch the opal" Adira explained, she pointed at the cracks which covered most of the floor, walls and columns. "Those weren't there the last time I came here"   
Eugene touched the cracks of the floor, looking with narrowed eyes at the symbol carved on the rock: a circle with three lines.  
Rapunzel knelt next to him. "What's wrong?"  
Her boyfriends eyebrows furrowed. "I think I've seen this symbol before"  
Cassandra snorted, her arms crossed.   
"Duh, it's the same symbol tattooed on Adira's hand, genius"   
Adira waved from the distance.  
"No, I've seen it in other place..."  
Rapunzel tilted her head. "Now that you mention it, it does look familiar"  
The lady-in-waiting sighed and walked behind Rapunzel.   
"Varian's dad!" The princess suddenly exclaimed. "That's it! He also had the symbol tattooed on his hand"  
Eugene's eyes widened. "You're right!"   
Cassandra was the least impressed. "And what does that exactly prove? He may have just tattooed it because he thought it looked good"  
"I don't know" Rapunzel stood up "There was always something weird about Quirin and his relationship with the rocks"  
Adira's head shot up from behind a column.  
"Wait, what!?" The tall lady asked surprised "You know Quirin?"  
The three of them exchanged glances.   
"Well, we knew him before he was encased by the rocks" Eugene blurted.  
Cassandra nudged him in the ribs.   
"Hey!" he protested.  
Rapunzel saw the worry and concern in Adira's eyes and decided to tell her.  
After narrating the whole story about Varian's betrayal and Quirin's imprisonment, Adira just stared at Rapunzel with wide eyes.  
"So... you're saying Quirin has a son, who is also nuts and tried to destroy Corona?" she mumbled.   
"Basically" Eugene nodded. "Although I would rather describe him as insane..." he stopped himself after receiving Cassandra's venomous glare.  
Adira shook her head slowly. "Oh no, this is bad" she muttered while walking back and forth the room "this is REALLY bad"  
"What is bad?" Cassandra asked.  
Adira ignored her and practically run through a hall, after a while, Rapunzel heard her scream.   
"YOU’VE _GOT_ TO BE KIDDING ME!"   
The three of them run to meet her at a wide and dark room, in the middle of it, a hollowed rock with a black cristal inside of it remained untouched.   
"I...I don't get it" she stammered.  
Rapunzel put a hand on her shoulder, only to then remember Adira didn't like physical contact. But she didn't pull away or say anything, she just stood there gaping at the rock.  
"Is it supposed to be like that?" Eugene asked, earning another death glare from Cassandra.   
"I don't feel... anything" Rapunzel said.  
Everyone stared at her, including Adira.  
"It doesn't work anymore, it has lost its power" the warrior said "Quirin was the only one who could have entered here besides me" her face fell "he... he betrayed the Kingdom"  
The princess extended her arm and carefully took the opal lying inside the meteorite. Nothing happened at first.  
Cassandra raised an eyebrow at the useless stone.  
"Do you think Quirin...?"   
Rapunzel suddenly felt her vision cloud, everything around her turned into a big black blur.   
And that was when she heard her. _And_ saw her.  
The blond girl backed down at the sight of her worst enemy. The woman that had used her for eighteen years, making her believe she loved Rapunzel.   
" _What's wrong Rapunzel?_ " She said with a mockery tone " _Didn't you miss me?_ "  
Rapunzel gulped. Suddenly everything started to click, the voices had been Mother Gothel all along! That's why they sounded so familiar and terrifying.   
"You...you are supposed to be dead" she stammered.  
Gothel giggled as she advanced closer to Rapunzel. _"I am dead, my dear_ " she said matter-of-factly " _But don't worry, I'll be back as soon as you two meet"_   
The princesses eyebrows shot up in surprise.  
"Who are you talking about?"   
Mother Gothel put a hand on her shoulder. A cold death hand that made her shiver.   
_"I knew you were stupid, but I thought it was obvious enough for you to guess_ " she answered with pretended pity.  
Rapunzel pulled herself away from Gothel, her eyes widening when her hand passed right through the witch's body. But that only lasted a second, she then furrowed her eyebrows and pointed Mother Gothel with her frying pan, trying to look as intimidating as possible.   
"Tell me who the moondrop is!" she said commandingly.   
The witch laughed with delight.  
" _You're sure you want to know?"_  
Rapunzel nodded angrily.  
Gothel's body turned to a dusty smoke and then reformed right next to her, Rapunzel tried not to squirm when Mother Gothel started whispering cold words in her ear.  
" _Varian is the moondrop"_  
Then everything turned black.

Varian's POV:

Queen Arianna hadn't visited him in days.  
Maybe she was too afraid an invisible force would hurt her, maybe she had given up on him. Either way, none of her solutions would help him.   
Varian couldn't forgive and couldn't forget. Even then, almost a month since the beginning of his imprisonment, his strongest feeling was still his hate for Rapunzel.  
He felt that it had been her fault, that he had been forced against his will into becoming the bad guy.   
Queen Arianna had said they both made human mistakes. Well, then, why was Rapunzel traveling around the world while he was stuck in a prison cell? Why did she have friends and two parents while he was all alone? Why did she break her promise?  
But that wasn't what pissed him the most.  
What extremely annoyed him was the fact that she would rather go on a search for a magical machine that she didn't know existed than help him with a real problem.   
Magic.  
He just hated it.  
It was irrational and imposible, Varian couldn't find and explanation to it, and that made him mad.   
Rapunzel made him mad.  
And that voice, the one that haunted him in his dreams and sometimes while being awake, he also hated it.   
Varian was sick of being treated like dirt, and most of all, he was sick of being in jail.   
But what could he do?  
The voice said she would come for him, but how?   
Varian thought all of this while staring at the wall of his prison cell, Rudiger lied in a corner, sleeping. The boy watched him as he fiddled with his googles in his bare hands.   
He usually liked to wear gloves, but the same as his apron, they had been removed so that he couldn't gather materials for doing alchemy.   
Varian was out of options. He grunted in frustration.   
Then, he started to hear whispers.   
At first he thought it was the woman again, but as he heard more, he realized they where real whispers.   
"We have to act quick"  
"Why do we have to take him, anyways?"  
"Lady Caine's orders"  
"Psst, kiddo!" someone whispered loudly.   
The boy's head turned to his left, only to meet with a pair of blue eyes. Andrew. And he was holding a vial with liquid in it.   
He stood up, wide-eyed. "Is that...?"  
Andrew huffed impatiently. "Yeah, yeah, it's the acid thingie you told me about"  
The man with the ponytail poured the liquid on the cells lock, which melted immediately. The door hang open, Andrew made a gesture for him to follow.  
"Come on, there's not much time"  
Varian watched at the thugs standing behind him and stepped back. There was something about their strange grins that unsettled him. The voice said she would get Varian, she repeated that every single time he went to sleep. And how had they gotten those chemicals? Someone from the outside must have sneaked them inside the prison without being noticed...   
Everything suddenly made sense.  
"Kid?" Andrew offered a hand. He looked over his shoulder and then again at him.   
Andrew's smile told him everything was okay, but his eyes said something very different. And Varian didn't like it one bit.   
Rudiger in the corner woke up and exchanged glances with Varian.  
The alchemist gave a nervous chuckle.   
"You see, I think I've change my mind. Being in prison, it isn’t that bad, right?..." he said shakily, his grip tightening on the googles in his hand.   
And that's when Andrew's smile melted down, he looked at the two guys standing behind him and nodded. They nodded back.  
Their massive bodies entered in the boy's prison cell. Varian yelped when he realized his entire body was the same size as one of their arms.   
The man in the right grinned, an evil blood-thirsty grin.   
Varian took another step back, bumping against the cold wall. The full moon shone in the sky of his window, brightening the room with a white glow.  
One of the thugs took him by his injured arm and squeezed it.   
Varian winced.  
"It doesn't have to be this way, little _moon scum._.." he warned.  
But Varian didn't listen.   
He trashed, kicked and punched everything he could. The gigantic man growled when Varian hit him in the nose, but the alchemist was smaller and had a lot less strength than him. It didn't take long before Varian found himself being immobilized by one of the men.   
He struggled against the guy who got his arms painfully pinned against his back, panting and almost out of breath.   
The two bullies started laughing at Varian's pathetic attempts of freeing himself, even the impatient Andrew grinned, the boy's blood boiled with anger and fear.   
That is when Rudiger went berserker.  
The crazy raccoon jumped to the man that was holding Varian and bit him in the arm.   
"Ouch!" he bellowed.  
He immediately let the boy go, who fell against the floor of the cell, scraping his knees. The bigger man shook the raccoon from his arm and kicked him across the room.   
"Rudiger!" Varian screamed.   
Andrew grunted. "He's going to wake up the guards"   
"Help! Prison break!"  
The other guy took Varian from the floor and put a hand against his mouth, muffling the alchemists screams.   
He started to cry, watching with terrified eyes the unmoving raccoon in the prison's cell floor.   
A wave of anger shot through his entire body. He stepped hardly on the man's foot, desperately trying to get to his pet. In response, the man shook him harshly.   
"Finish this, already!" Andrew protested. He threw a white cloth to the man who had kicked (and probably killed) Rudiger.   
They are going to kill me, Varian thought bitterly. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his muscles sore from fighting the two grown-up men.  
The white cloth was placed on Varian's mouth, some seconds passed. He tried not to inhale the chemicals, but he was already starting to see everything blurry.   
The only thing he saw before losing consciousness were his googles, the crystals all broken and shattered, reflecting the crescent moon of the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Rudiger! But don’t worry, he’s okay.  
> The same can’t be said about Varian, though.


	8. The moondrop?

Rapunzel's POV:

After her conversation with Mother Gothel, Rapunzel woke up in one of the beds of the caravan.   
"It's Varian!" She screamed as her body shot up in a sitting position.  
Eugene, who was currently sleeping in one chair next to the princesses bed, woke up startled and fell to the floor. "What the...?"  
"There's no time to lose, Eugene" Rapunzel said while getting up from the bed and pulling at her boyfriends arm.   
"Whoa, calm down, blondie" he yawned "You just woke up"  
"Yeah, you fainted after touching that cristal" Cassandra added as she entered the room. "You've been out for three hours"  
"But I was talking to her!" she replied annoyed.   
"To whom?"   
"Mother Gothel!" Rapunzel answered with a shudder.  
Both Cassandra and Eugene gasped.   
Her boyfriend got up and took her by the hand. His joking manners replaced with a serious expression.  
"You mean as in locking you in a tower, using your hair for staying young and almost killing a very handsome thief... _that_ Mother Gothel?"   
Rapunzel nodded somberly.  
"But I thought you both said she was dead" Cassandra replied.  
The princess looked at her lady-in-waiting. "And she _is_ dead..."   
Eugene sighed in relief.  
"but... she also told me something about coming back to life"  
Her two friends stared at her as if her hair had just turned purple.  
"She can't do that, right?" Eugene asked uncertainly.   
Rapunzel put a hand in her chin, thinking.  
"I don't know... she sounded pretty sure she could, once me and Varian..."  
"Wait" Cassandra interrupted her, raising her hands "What does Varian have to do with this?"  
Rapunzel sigued, suddenly very interested in looking at her feet.   
"Rapunzel...?" Cassandra raised and eyebrow and crossed her arms.  
"He... he is, he _might_ be the moondrop" she mumbled.  
"WHAT!?" Eugene and Cassandra exclaimed.  
Adira's head appeared from behind the door, as startled as the three friends there.  
"Talking about weirdos..." Cassandra murmured to herself.  
"If that's true, then we should head back to Corona" the tall warrior said trying to hide her fear. "God knows what would happen if his power awakens..."  
Eugene stepped forward, holding his hand in a time out gesture.   
"Wait a moment, if Varian is the moondrop..."  
"Which he is" Rapunzel interrumped.  
"...then, shouldn't his hair be like blondie's?" he said scratching his head "I mean, he didn't even react to the dark rocks"  
"He has a blue streak" Rapunzel pointed out. She was starting to get annoyed that everyone questioned whether her dreams where just dreams. Hadn't she predicted that the moondrop wouldn't be in the Dark Kingdom?  
Cassandra shrugged. "I always thought he just dyed it"  
"Maybe not" the princess said with excitement "maybe his father cut his hair and left that blue streak behind"   
"So, you're basically saying he has blue hair" Eugene summed up "Wow, that's even weirder than your blond hair"  
Adira just stared at them, switching her eyes to the person that was talking like she was watching a tennis game.   
"But if his father _did_ cut his hair, then it means he lost all his powers" Cassandra added, looking at Rapunzel.  
Rapunzel bit her lip. "Yeah, but my hair grew back when I touched the black rocks... maybe there's some way of getting his powers back too?"  
"Rapunzel it's the opposite of the black rocks, it  is possible that _she_ could make him recover his powers!" Eugene said while putting a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder.   
"You can't do that!" Adira suddenly exclaimed in alarm. She locked eyes with the princess. "Rapunzel, whatever you do, never return his powers, you've seen what the opal did at the Dark Kingdom, just imagine what destruction Varian could cause in Corona!"  
Rapunzel run her hands through her hair. "I am aware of that" she nodded. "I think that's what Mother Gothel wants too, so... don't worry, it won't happen" the princess decided firmly.  
Adira's eyes darkened. "That isn't enough for me" she extended a hand "You must promise me that under _any_ circumstance you'll restore Varian's powers"  
Rapunzel looked at the outstretched hand of the warrior, her thoughts drifting to the last time she made _and_ broke a promise.  
Finally, the princess took her hand and shook it.  
After letting her hand go, Adira sighed in relief.  "Quirin's plan might have been risky... but I have to admit it was pretty smart, with his hair cut there won't be any other massive spread of those rocks"  
"But we still have to get back to Corona" Cassandra remembered her.  
Rapunzel nodded.  
They would get to the bottom of this.


	9. Back to Corona, Out of Corona

 

Varian's POV:

Saying Varian's head hurt would be an understatement. It hurt more than that time when a chemical reaction had burned off his eyebrows. And he had almost fractured his skull!  
Varian opened his eyes and blinked, his head throbbing. He went to rub his temples, though his hand stopped halfway.   
He was chained to the cold wall in which he was resting his back.   
Great, he thought sourly.  
Varian groaned as he tried to remember what had happened. There had been a prison break, he had refused to go with Andrew for some reason, and then...   
Rudiger.  
Those thugs, they had hurt Rudiger. Probably even killed it.   
Because of HIM!  
Varian fought back tears, tugging at his chains and clenching his teeth. The metal cut through his wrists, the alchemist hissed, deciding it hadn't been a good idea.  
He tried not to panic, that wouldn't help him escape. The boy analyzed the situation calmly and looked for materials he could use to escape.  
He looked at the almost healed injury in his left arm. Whoever had impresioned him, had also taken off the bandages, probably because they didn't fit inside the chains. Or maybe because they just didn't care.  
Varian scanned the cold circular room and his new prison cell. There was a small wooden door in one side, the rest was all made of rock, except for another pair of metal chains placed right in front of him which he couldn't reach. He tilted his head and looked at the high, circular ceiling, there was a small hole from which he could make some light from the outside.   
I hope it doesn't rain, he found himself thinking.  
There was nothing else to look at, he was trapped, again.   
But this time, apart from having no water nor food, nothing assured him the women wouldn't try to hurt him. Not Ariana, at least.   
Suddenly, he heard some footsteps behind the door, which opened to reveal a red headed woman with tattoos, accompanied by the two men who had kidnapped him.   
"You are finally awake" the woman said.  
What was it with bad guys and their tendency to state the obvious? the alchemist wondered.   
Varian frowned.  
"Why am I here? Who are YOU?!" he asked trying to sound as confident as he could.  
The tattooed woman laughed. Not the same laugh as in his dreams, Varian realized with relief.   
"I'm the one who got us all out of prison" she answered with a half smile.  
The boy paled. "Lady Caine?"  
The woman bowed with mockery. "The one and only" she said "and you must be Varian... weren't you that nerd that tried to destroy Corona?"  
Varian bit his lip. He didn't like to be called a nerd, but he guessed it wouldn't be a good idea to argue with Lady Caine while being her prisoner.  
"What...what do you want from me?" he said, stammering despite his efforts.  
The thugs behind Lady Caine both grinned.  
"Scared, are we?" the thin one said.  
Lady Caine shushed him with a hand gesture.   
She walked through the round-shaped room and knelt in front of Varian, who pushed himself against the wall with fear.   
Lady Caine smiled at that, he took him by the chin and made him look at her.   
"Gothel wants me to keep you alive until she returns, only then I will be free of my promise... " she paused.   
Varian didn't have time to react before Lady Caine punched him across the face. He whimpered as she got up and kicked him hard in the ribs multiple times, unable of defending himself because of the chains cutting through his wrists.  
The alchemist spat blood, his eyes filling with tears. He thought he heard the faint sound of a crack inside his chest, though he didn't give it much importance in the moment.   
"Key word, she wants you _alive_ " Lady she Caine said as she cleaned his blood from her knuckles on a dirty handkerchief. "As long as you're breathing it will be okay, and believe me, there are much worse things than death, _moon scum_ " she threatened the small boy in front of her.   
The two men and the woman shared satisfied smiles.  
"Don't try anything stupid" Lady Caine warned before closing the door.  
Varian was left alone, certain he had one or two broken ribs and a black eye. He started crying, no longer able of retaining the tears in his eyes, no longer capable of acting like everything was okay. Nothing was okay.   
" _Get used to it_ " he heard a smooth voice he knew too well.

Rapunzel's POV:

They had arrived at Corona three days after the prison break. Rapunzel had been startled when she found out what had happened, and even more surprised when she went to check on Varian's cell for clues, accompanied by her mother and Cassandra.   
Queen Arianna, who was usually the calmest and most reasonable person in the castle, seemed to be the most upset and worried of the trio.   
Rapunzel had heard his father say Queen Arianna had been the one to take responsibility of Varian's rehabilitation, apparently establishing a bond between the lonely alchemist.   
When they reached the place, the princess suddenly understood why she was so concerned about Varian's disappearance.   
"Nothing except Rudiger has been moved since the day of the prison break" her mother said with glassy eyes.   
"Varian left Rudiger behind?" Cassandra questioned.   
The Queen shook her head. "We found him in a corner, the poor creature had a broken leg..."  
Rapunzel widened her eyes. "Varian would never do something like that, would he?"  
Cassandra shrugged. But Rapunzel knew better, she was just trying to hide her own surprise and worries. The thought of an insane fourteen-year-old hurting his own pet must have been overwhelming even for her fierce best friend.  
The lady-in-waiting recomposed herself quickly. "What else did you found, your Majesty?"  
Queen Arianna pointed with a shaky finger at a small thing lying in the cold floor.  
When Rapunzel got a closer look at the object, she gasped.   
"Varian's googles..." she mumbled while holding them.   
Cassandra took them from her hand, she fiddled with the broken crystals, wearing her leather protective gloves.  
"This is... strange" she said, her eyebrows furrowed.   
Rapunzel nodded, her mind starting to form an even stranger theory.   
"The locks from all the cells of the prisoners who escaped were melted with some chemicals" Queen Arianna added.  
"That sounds like Varian" Cassandra said rolling her eyes at Rapunzel.  
"Yes, but look, this lock looks like it was melted from the outside" the princess pointed out nervously.   
The two women looked at her.  
"What are you suggesting?" Her mother asked.   
The injured raccoon, the broken googles... and now the lock that was melted from the outside. Rapunzel thought about what Gothel had said, a terrible feeling crept down her spine. Something horrible had happened to Varian... she knew it.  
"I...I think someone kidnapped Varian" she blurted.


	10. A deal

Rapunzel's POV:

Rapunzel didn't sleep well the day after arriving at the castle.   
Eugene had passed by her bedroom some hours ago, leaving her a delicious cupcake and trying to convince her that everything was going to be okay. But Rapunzel knew that wasn't true.   
Loads of words swirled in her head: massive jail break, higher crime rate...   
But above all, she couldn't help but think of Varian.   
She pictured what he could be enduring at the same time she was lying on her comfortable bed, eating chocolate desserts.  
If she had figured it out earlier.   
If she hadn't turn her back on a desperate friend who needed help...  
Then maybe, none of this would have happened.   
Rapunzel buried her head on a pillow, feeling horrible.   
Even if he hadn't been kidnapped and just escaped with the other prisoners, Mother Gothel may still be able to find him, and then... she shook her head at the thought.   
Where could that kid possibly be?  
" _You really want to know, don't you?"_   
Rapunzel jumped at the echoey voice.   
The voice that haunted her in her nightmares, the woman that had made her childhood a complete lie. Mother Gothel.   
The princess gritted her teeth, pulling her frying pan from behind the bed.   
"What do you want?" She demanded. "Show yourself!"  
Mother Gothel laughed bitterly.   
" _I can't show myself, because I don't HAVE a body, you brat!_ " she hissed.   
Rapunzel flinched at the comment.  
" _But I'm not here to talk about myself"_ the voice in her head said more softly, with a menacing tone " _I think what you really want to know is where your little moondrop is, am I right?"_  
The princess lowered her weapon, nodding eagerly despite the situation.  
" _Well, I could tell you_ " she cackled coldly " _But where would be the fun in that?_ "  
Rapunzel's face fell. As much as she hated to admit it, Gothel was probably her only chance of finding Varian.  
" _You're right about that_ " her former adoptive mother interrupted.   
Agh, she despised when she did that mind-reading trick.   
She could almost hear Gothel rolling her eyes.   
" _What I meant... is that I could show you were he is..._ "  
Rapunzel's vision blurred as a cold feeling made her dizzy. Not again, she thought desperately. But that time, she didn't travel back to that black void in her mind where she had talked to Mother Gothel's ghost. That time... it felt as if her own soul went on a trip on her own.   
She felt herself being pulled, pushed and squeezed through different landscapes and places. All of that happening in a blink of an eye.   
Suddenly, everything stopped.  
She must have reached her destination.  
Rapunzel was taken aback by the smell of moisture and blood, her bare feet against the cold rock. It took her eyes some minutes to adjust to the darkness of the place, but when they did, the princess gasped.  
"Varian!"  
She quickly run to the boy, watching horrified the condition in which he was.  
Varian had the right side of his face all bruised and swollen, as if someone had given him a punch. He was evidently dehydrated and hungry, with his wrists red and irritated because of the chains he was wearing. But what worried her the most, was the thin trail of blood coming  from the corner his mouth, one of Varian's hands pressing against his ribs.   
Rapunzel's lip trembled.   
She extended her transparent arm, brushing Varian's cheek gently.   
The alchemist shifted in his sleep.  
What have they done to you?, Rapunzel thought sadly.   
"Don't...don't worry Varian, we are going to get you out of here" she said with a shaky voice.  
Mother Gothel chuckled, making Rapunzel's fear turn immediately into anger.  
" _He can't hear you, sweetie"_ the old woman said crisply.   
"Where is he?" the princess replied, clenching her fists.   
She searched the circled stone cell, noticing a small hole in the middle of the ceiling.   
" _Now, now, don't be so impatient, my child_ " Gothel said " _if I've brought you here is for you to see what's at stake_ "  
Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"  
" _I want to make a deal with you, Rapunzel"_  
At those words, the princess scoffed, raising her chin and trying to look as confident as she could.   
"Why would I want to make a deal with _you_?" She asked.  
Mother Gothel grunted with annoyance. " _Fine_ "  
Varian shivered before starting to cough blood, holding with both chained hands his chest and wincing with pain. Rapunzel panicked. "No!"   
She reached for his arm, but retreated when her transparent hands passed through him.   
"Stop it! Please!" Rapunzel yelled desperately at the ceiling. "You're going to kill him!"   
Gothel remained in silence.  
"I'll hear you out, but please, leave him alone!"   
Varian's coghing fit stopped, his breath normalized.   
He sleepily wiped some blood from his chin, wheezing hardly and with watery eyes.   
" _I am glad you've finally decided to cooperate"_  
Rapunzel's knees buckled, she laid in the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks.   
" _This is the deal: First, I'll tell you the exact location where Varian is, of course, I'll expect you to come here completely ALONE. Then, if everything goes right, we'll all wait until the full moon so you can properly heal and restore Varian's powers. And finally, when both the moondrop and the sundrop convine their powers, I'll be able to come back from death!_ " Gothel exclaimed with delight.  
Rapunzel shuddered, thinking about the promise she'd made with Adira: You must promise me that under any circumstance you'll restore Varian's powers...  
" _By the way_ " Mother Gothel added " _Judging by the severe puncture in his lung, I don't think the kid will last much longer, so you'd better come before the next full moon"_  
Rapunzel took a glance at Varian, his forehead covered in sweat and having trouble to breath. The next full moon would happen in two days, she just had to go there and save him (did Mother Gothel know that her hair could no longer heal?)  
She would worry about how to escape later, in that moment, Varian's life was a priority.   
But, should she tell the others about what she was going to do?  
" _I wouldn't do that if I were you_..." she warned.  
Rapunzel nodded with fear.   
" _Deal?"_ Mother Gothel asked.  
The princess took a shaky breath, looking one last time at Varian. The boy that had tried to help her and then tried to destroy her family. A boy who had lost his father and was dying because of her.   
"Deal”


	11. No way

Cassandra's POV:

Cassandra got up the moment she heard Rapunzel talking in her sleep.   
For the last few days, the poor girl had been having terrible nightmares about Mother Gothel. And so, it was Cassandra's duty to help her princess and former best friend in all she could.  
But how could you fight something you can't see?  
It wasn't as if she could just burst into Raps dream and try to punch Gothel. Not that that would work either, considering that she was death and didn't have a body.   
The lady-in-waiting sighed, opening the door of Rapunzel's bedroom and rushing to her side.   
The princess murmured something, her eyes wet from crying. Deal? What deal? thought Cassandra irritated.   
She shook her shoulder gently.  
"Hey, Raps, it's okay" she mumbled sleepily "it's me, wake up!"  
Rapunzel's eyes shot open as she rushed to a sitting position, wiping the tears from her eyes.   
"Ca...Cassandra?"   
"Yeah" she responded while sitting in the border of her bed. "Another nightmare?"  
Rapunzel nodded, looking at the frying pan lying in her hand.   
"Do you want to talk about it?"   
She shook her head slowly.  
Now, that’s weird, Cassandra thought. Normally, Rapunzel didn't have any trouble talking with her about anything. That she didn't want to share her dream with her... it kind of hurt.   
Cassandra stood there, thinking, knowing Rapunzel appreciated when she stayed some minutes with her after waking up from a nightmare.   
"You were saying something... about a deal" she locked eyes with her best friend, who was strangely avoiding eye contact.   
The princess shuddered, a single tear falling from her cheek.   
And from only that information, Cassandra figured out most of what had happened.  
In theory, Gothel needed both Varian and Rapunzel to come back to live.   
There had been a prison break in which Varian's cell seemed to have occurred a fight. Therefore, the only one Gothel needed in that moment was Rapunzel. Supposing she already had Varian...  
Cassandra's eyes widened as she suddenly understood in what deal had Rapunzel gotten herself into.  
"Are you nuts!" She whispered-shouted "you can't just give yourself to Gothel!"  
Rapunzel looked at her with surprise before burying her face in her hands and started crying.   
"But she...she has Varian, and...and..." she sobbed.   
Cassandra gave her a hug, letting her cry for a moment. Eventually, her sobs died and she just let the tears fall silently. Rapunzel sniffed.  
"Now you want to talk?"  
She nodded.   
"Okay, talk" Cassandra said.  
Rapunzel took a deep breath before finally being able to speak.   
"She has Varian, he...he is gravely injured and won't last much longer" she paused "I wasn't going to accept the deal, but then..."   
The princess looked at we with fear in her green eyes.   
Cassandra made a gesture with her and, asking her to continue.  
"...she hurt Varian and he started coughing blood and... and I panicked" she sighed while Cassandra put a hand on her shoulder, suddenly worried about Varian too.   
"Couldn't it had just been one of her illusions?" she asked hopefully.  
"No" Rapunzel replied sadly.   
The lady-in-waiting stayed almost an hour with Rapunzel, asking her for any detail she could remember and comforting her best friend.  
Once she was out of the room and they both have formulated a plan, her shoulders slumped. Rapunzel had told her in what condition Varian had been for THREE days, and as much as she tried to look strong in front of her, she couldn't hide her concern and worry for the little guy. Not even him deserved to be treated that way.   
Her fists clenched as she repeated the plan in her head, hopping she had made the right decision.  
Rapunzel had to go alone and try to rescue Varian, if she hadn't returned before the full moon, Cassandra would tell everybody and track them down (since she refused to tell her the location).   
Please, don't die Varian, she mentally pleaded.

Rapunzel's POV:

She had told everything to Cassandra.  
The most surprising part?  
Nothing had happened.   
It seemed strange that Mother Gothel had been bluffing, but Rapunzel wasn't going to complain about that.   
She had made a deal.  
She had a mission: to save Varian.  
And that's what she'd do.   
Rapunzel furrowed her eyebrows, angry about how she had been blind enough to run away from Corona following some rocks while the moondrop had been there all along.   
The princess pulled the sheets of her bed closely, thinking how the next time she went to sleep it would be in that circular room where Varian was kept.   
Would he still be mad at her?  
She hadn't seen him in almost a month, things would surely have cool off by then, right?  
Rapunzel sighed, looking at an agitated Pascal on her shoulder. She smiled at him.  
"Don't worry, Pascal, this is going to work"


	12. The same fate

Rapunzel's POV:

"Well, this is it" the princess whispered to her chameleon, Pascal.  
Rapunzel pulled back the dark hood hiding her face and took a notebook from a pocket in her dress. She flipped through the pages until founding the one with the instructions Gothel had given her last night.   
"Travel to the northeast and reach an abandoned village corrupted by the dark rocks, there, you'll find a stone arc leading to the forest. Walk until you found a sealed well with a hole in the middle. Then, wait" she read softly.   
Rapunzel had walked all the way to the abandoned village from Corona, accompanied by her loyal pet Pascal, who was also an important part of the rescue mission.   
The princess turned around and looked at the gigantic stone arc she had left behind at the beginning of the forest. Then, her eyes laid on Pascal.  
"Okay, Pascal, now it's all up to you" she said to the small green reptile cupped in her hands. "You have to return to Corona and show Cassandra the way here, but not before the full moon, understood?"   
Pascal nodded, squeezing one of her fingers with his tail. Some seconds later, he was gone, disappearing while climbing the branches of a tree.   
She was now on her own.   
Rapunzel swallowed the lump in her throat, stepping forward towards the sealed well.  
She looked at the small hole in the middle, remembering something she had seen when Mother Gothel showed her where Varian was kept. It was a wide circular room, cold, humid and made of stone, with a hole in the ceiling...   
Rapunzel's eyes widened.   
Could it be...?  
"Looks like we have a visitor" a very familiar voice barked behind her.  
She was a red headed thief, manipulative and brute, one arm covered by a rose tattoo.   
She was the first enemy Rapunzel had ever faced, someone she had expected or hoped not to meet again.   
"YOU?" Rapunzel almost screamed "What are _you_ doing here?"  
The woman laughed, giving a signal with one hand. Two seconds after the gesture, two gigantic men appeared from the shadows.  
The princess took a step back, her heart beat racing. A million of escape plans swirling in her head.   
"Your dear mother and I have a deal, honey" she smirked. "Now, better get you inside before the boy dies, shall we?"  
This is why I'm here, she told herself, to save Varian, to make it up to him for all the suffering me and the rocks have caused in his life, to fix this whole mess... before it's too late.   
Rapunzel looked at Lady Caine right in the eye, determination hardening her soft features. "Yes".  
Lady Caine must have sensed the change in her mood, because the next thing she did was scowl, approach at her and grab Rapunzel by the hair.  
The princess yelped, letting herself be dragged by Lady Caine, closely accompanied by the other two thugs.   
They escorted Rapunzel through the wet grass, her feet, which she'd covered with some boots, feeling numb and cold from walking.   
Eventually, the four of them reached a dark cave. The princess caught a small glimpse of the almost full moon through the branches of a tree.   
Lady Caine dropped her hair, lit a torch and begun leading the way through the maze the cave was, the two guys standing at each side of the princess.  
Left, Right, Middle, Left, Left, Downstairs, the second one at the right... wait, or was it the left?   
Rapunzel grunted, it would be impossible for her to remember all that.   
Then she looked back and noticed something.   
Of course, why hadn't she thought of that before?  
When Lady Caine had pulled her by the hair, she had also loosen the hundreds of hair pins and flowers she always wore!  
"What are you looking at?" the thin guy said.   
"Nothing!" Rapunzel quickly responded.   
The man looked at her one time and shrugged.  
Good thing criminals aren't very bright, the princess thought with relief.   
Varian is bright, another part of her said, a resentful part of her subconsciousness who considered him a criminal.  
"Shut up, me" she said out loud.   
Lady Caine looked at her with annoyance.  
"At least wait 'till you have spent some months rotting in a cell to start going crazy" She reproached her with a grin.   
They continued that way for another few minutes until reaching a wooden door. Rapunzel had lost all her hair pins, having to hold it in her arms and trying to act brave at the same time.   
Lady Caine fiddled with some keys in her hand and opened the door slightly before facing her, the hunger for revenge clear in her eyes.   
"Well, well, who would have known?" she said while surrounding her, whispering at her ear "some days ago I was staring at the black wall of a prison cell, having lost all hope I would ever run free... and now, it's you who will face the same fate" Lady Caine hissed.   
Rapunzel blinked.  
"Only unlike me, you'll never be able to escape, your highness" she stated with delight.   
The princess bit her lip, clenching her hand into fists.   
It wouldn't help Varian if she tried to hit Lady Caine, to be honest, she didn't think it would help her.  
Lady Caine sighed.   
"It's a shame Gothel wants you alive _and_ unharmed" she gave her a fake smile "but orders are orders"   
And right after saying that, Rapunzel was roughly pushed into the circular room, where she hit the cold floor hardly as she heard the door closing behind her.   
The princess gave a shaky breath, staying silent for some seconds, trying to assimilate what had just happened.   
She fought back tears as she scanned the room, waiting until her eyes got used to the poor light coming from the hole.  
Once they did, the first thing she saw were a pair of round-shaped blue eyes, staring at her with fear and pure terror.   
"Varian..." her lip trembled.   
The princess heard the rattle of chains as a quavery voice answered her back. "Ra...Rapunzel?"

Eugene's POV:

Eugene hadn't seen or heard anything from Rapunzel in an entire day. AN ENTIRE DAY.  
He remembered something Cassandra had told him about a girls day out or something, which totally confirmed his suspicions.   
Cassandra had lied.   
And he knew this for two main reasons:  
1\. Cassandra didn't like girly stuff.  
2\. Cassandra was a girl?  
Okay, the second reason was kind of a question.   
Never mind.  
But the point was, there was something weird going on and he, Eugene Fliztherbert was going to find out. Even if it cost him his life.  
Okay, that was probably a little bit exaggerated.  
He hoped.  
So, there he was, searching blondie's room for clues when he heard a deadly voice calling him from the door.  
"What the heck are you doing here, sticky boot?" Cassandra growled.   
Eugene got up, trying not to bump his head on blondie's gigantic bed posts.   
"Umm... weren't you supposed to be on that girls day out with Rapunzel?" he asked crossing his arms.   
Cassandra raised a brow. "You know that's not my thing, I insisted Rapunzel to stay some more time in the spa" she responded "she looked kind of happy at the prospect of a day without you, if you ask me" Cassandra added.  
"Which I didn't" Eugene pointed out.  
"What where you doing here?" Cassandra asked menacingly.   
He scoffed.  
"I don't buy it, I know something isn't right, okay?" Eugene said "I couldn't find blondie's frying pan anywhere"  
Cassandra shrugged. "And what's that supposed to prove? She takes that thing everywhere"  
"Look, I'm her boyfriend" he insisted "I need to know if she is in danger, so..."   
"Pascal!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
"Yeah, exactly... wait, what?"   
Eugene looked at the window, where and exhausted Pascal climbed to reach to the safety of the castle.   
Cassandra rushed to help the reptile, cupping it in her hands.  
"That's blondie's frog" Eugene's eyes widened.   
"Chameleon" she corrected with annoyance.  
"Okay, _now_ I'm totally freaking out" he said nervously "she goes nowhere without that thing"  
Cassandra ignored him some minutes before finally sighing, Pascal still out of breath.   
"Fine, I'll tell you"


	13. How

Arianna's POV:

"WHAT!?"   
Arianna flinched at the sound of her husband's yell, trying to remember the last time he'd been so angry.   
Of course, the memory of the night she'd lost her precious daughter came rushing at her in a second, hitting her like a punch in the gut. The night she'd lost the opportunity to presence her baby's childhood, the night she'd lost everything.   
All because of that... that witch.  
A feeling of deep sadness reached Corona's Queen, mixed with another emotion she was least familiar with. Anger.   
That emotion was one that often succumbed her husband in times of stress and frustration, a very annoying habit of his, as much as she loved him.   
But that was also the reason they reigned so well together.  
The king might be the rightful heir of that land, but it was the queen, his wife, who most of the time offered her opinion in the important decisions and maters of the kingdom.   
It had been Arianna who had kept him from falling apart all those years after Rapunzel's disappearance.   
And it would be her job to calm him down in that moment, even if she was as sad and frustrated as he was.  
She had to keep her mind cool.  
Arianna put a hand over her husbands arm, causing him to look down and take a deep breath.   
Both Cassandra and Eugene, standing in front of the kings throne, exchanged nervous glances.   
The Queen cleared her throat.   
"So, you're saying my daughter has run off alone to save Varian from... what was it that you called her? Oh, right, Ghost Gothel...?"  
Eugene's face reddened as Cassandra elbowed him in the ribs.  
The king clenched his teeth, obviously holding back some murderous comment about Gothel's new nickname.  
Cassandra took a step forward, firmly and with determination. One of the reasons Arianna agreed to choose her as her daughter's lady-in-waiting.  
"Your highness, I understand that you might be angry about Rapunzel's recklessness, but Varian..."  
The king slammed his fist against the throne's arm, causing Cassandra to return to her original position, looking at the floor.  
"I don't care what happens to that mad boy! I JUST WANT MY DAUGHTER BACK!" he belowed angrily.  
Arianna furrowed her eyebrows.   
"Frederic, please" she said softly "I trust our daughter's judgement, let's hear out her plan"   
He looked at the Queen, embarrassment dawning in his eyes from his outburst.  
"All right then" he finally said.  
Arianna gave a reassuring look at Cassandra, who half-smiled at her in exchange.  
"As I was saying, your majesty, princess Rapunzel was forced to make a precipitated decision" the lady-in-waiting explained "Gothel threatened to end Varian's life unless she showed up and gave herself up, and so... Rapunzel accepted"   
The Queen drummed her fingers against her throne's arm.  
"And you knew this all along?" She reproached her softly.  
Cassandra looked to the floor.  
"Yes" she mumbled.   
"But she had no choice" Eugene intervened "if not, Gothel would have killed Varian right away"  
Arianna nodded. "Don't worry, I understand your reasons"  
And I would have done the same thing, she thought.   
They both sighed with relief.   
"What do you suggest we should do now, then?" Frederic asked, his gaze low and his voice firm. "Send a recognition squad led by a chameleon?"  
He must have meant it as a joke, but everybody looked at him seriously.   
"Rapunzel said we must wait after tomorrow's full moon... when she's finished healing Varian"   
Everybody stared at her in shock, even Eugene, who supposedly knew everything about the plan already.  
"But I thought blond... I mean Rapunzel's hair could no longer heal" Eugene murmured.  
Cassandra nodded.   
"I thought the same way, but she seemed so confident about it..."   
"Then I'm sure she knows what she's doing" Arianna stated with determination.   
Frederic grunted something that sounded like "I hope so", but she let it slip.   
She was as completely sure Rapunzel was going to be fine as she was completely sure the sun would set that day.   
Everything would be okay, she told herself.   
Rapunzel and Varian, both of them would arrive safely at the castle.   
They just had to stick to the plan, which didn't sound bad at all.   
In fact, the only thing that bothered the Queen was the part where Rapunzel was going to heal Varian, and it certainly wasn't because she wanted the boy to suffer or because she hated him, like he'd suggested in one of her visits.   
No.  
It was because of the consequences that could bring to Corona, to heal him would mean to awaken his powers, and if that happened...  
Arianna knew Adira wouldn't be happy at all.

Adira's POV:

It seemed unreal.  
How the great Quirin had been reduced so easily by the dark rocks, specially after a lifetime of fighting them. Or should she call it amber? Adira asked herself.  
Whatever that thing was, her sword couldn't cut through it, there wasn't even a scratch.  
And Adira was starting to get frustrated.  
"That should have worked" the tall warrior grunted as she swung her sword back to its place in her back.  
Her eyes laid on Quirin's paralyzed face, a mirror of resignation and sadness, still holding that stupid scroll in his hand.   
She sighed, suddenly remembering the happy family portrait in the next room. How drastically things could change in 14 years: The once confident and strong Quirin had been encased in an unknown material, his wife was dead and his son was currently being held against his will for magical purposes.   
What happened Quirin? Adira wondered. You had a wife and a son, why throw everything away for a kingdom that couldn't be saved?  
It was true that she didn't have a family, probably not even a real friend. But there was something Adira was certain about, she would never endanger someone precious to her to rescue a lost cause like the Dark Kingdom.   
"Then again, Quirin was never the kind who run from his problems without finishing them" the painted woman murmured to herself.  
And because of that, there was a boy who could easily destroy Corona the moment his powers were awakened.   
Adira shuddered.  
Could that really happen?  
A cheerful and happy place like Corona turn into something like... the Dark Kingdom?


	14. Cold

Varian's POV;

Varian already knew there was a slight chance he wouldn't make it to the full moon, and surprisingly, he wasn't scared.  
Weird.   
Death had always been a tabu conversation topic in his house. It used to be the thing he feared the most, having it taken his mum away from him.   
So then, why didn't he care at all?  
Varian figured it was because he had already given up.   
He hadn't drunk anything in practically five days except for the water that concentrated in the walls, he was dizzy from the lost of blood and it hurt him every time he tried to do something as simple as breathing.   
But unlike the past few months, he found himself being at peace. Accepting the fact that his father being encased was mostly his fault, without nightmares or Arianna's visits. Only silence and his thoughts.   
Or that was until a girl was thrown in the room with him.   
He instinctively pressed himself against the wall, thinking Lady Caine might have come back to beat him.   
Then, he heard it.  
"Varian..."  
Wait, he knew that voice. It was _her_ voice.  
"Ra...Rapunzel?"   
He stayed a moment in silence, petrified, looking at the shaky princess in front of him  and trying to process what was happening.  
She seemed at the verge of crying, agitated and afraid, looking at Varian with concern.  
I must look really bad for her to look at me like that, he thought.   
However, Varian found enough energy to scowl at her.   
"What are you doing here?" he wheezed.   
Then something strange happened, something not even Corona's brightest young mind could predict.   
With a sob, Rapunzel got closer to Varian and hugged him before he had time to even react.   
Varian felt his rib cage aching, as well as the princesses tears streaming down his shoulder.   
But for some reason, he didn't stop her.  
In fact, his eyes started to fill with tears, even though he had thought that impossible.   
Some seconds later the two of them where crying.   
When was the last time someone hugged me? Varian wondered with sadness.   
He was still resentful at her for what she'd done, or more specifically, what she could have done. She hadn’t forgiven her, that was certain. But in that moment, he just needed a shoulder to cry on.   
Rapunzel let him go gently, reducing the pressure in his ribs.   
Varian sniffed, letting out a shaky breath he had been containing.   
The princess was being so nice he almost forgot to be mad at her, after all, he was now a criminal too.  
"Better now?" she asked.  
He nodded slightly, putting a hand on one side of his chest.  
Rapunzel looked at the gesture worried, but said nothing about it.  
"Weren't you supposed to be chasing after some rocks?" Varian finally asked as bitterly as he could, without meeting her eyes. He was still having trouble breathing, but managed to say it for the sake of his curiosity.   
Rapunzel sighed, sitting against the cold wall, next to him.   
"Yes, that was the plan, but... it didn't go very well" she whispered while clutching her hair.   
Varian looked at her.   
"You see, the moondrop was already gone when we arrived to the place where it was supposed to be" the princess explained.   
He raised a brow.   
"It was as if its powers had been transferred to something or someone else"   
Rapunzel seemed to be getting impatient.   
"Haven't they told you?" she asked finally.  
Varian smirked sourly.   
"Do I look like they've come here to _talk_ to me?" he said pointing at his black eye, making sure to rattle the chains in his wrists.   
Rapunzel looked away, frowning.  
"Varian, you are the moondrop"   
His eyes widened, momentarily shocked. Of course, he had also considered that theory as a possibility... but a very unlikely one. "Well, that explains a lot"  
The princess looked back at him, surprised.  
"Really?"  
"Yeah, it explains why they all call me moon scum"  
Rapunzel run her hands through her blond hair, which covered most part of the room once it was left free.   
Another moment of silence followed, though it didn't last long. It wasn't as if they had anything else to do.  
"So, how do you got caught?" Varian asked.   
The princess looked at her hands, giving him a half smile. He had missed that smile, Varian admitted, or at least he had missed someone smiling at him.   
"I actually came here to rescue you" she mumbled.  
"Oh" he said, sincerely taken aback.  
How's well did it go? he thought of replying.  
Instead, he decided it was best if he just shut up, he was going to die anyway. Better to be nice his last days, right?  
And she had come here to rescue him. Was she lying? She had to be lying. Who would risk his own life to safe the guy who had almost destroyed their family? Apparently, Rapunzel.   
He begun feeling something like guilt in the pit of his stomach.   
"Don't worry" Rapunzel suddenly said "tomorrow is the full moon, I'll heal you and then we'll be able to escape"   
Varian hated admitting it, but he was starting to feel hopeful for the first time in months.   
"But your hair can't heal anymore..." he replied.   
"Just rest" she cut him off.  
Varian grunted, but he obeyed.  
It was already late in the night, anyways, and he wasn't going to waste a night without nightmares.   
"We'll get out of this, Varian, I pro..."  
"Don't" he warned just before falling asleep.


	15. Forgiveness

Rapunzel's POV;

Varian had just fallen asleep, leaving the princess enough time to observe the severity of his injuries.   
Mother Gothel had said something about his lungs being hurt, that would certainly explain the trail of blood in his chin and right hand. But the exterior didn't look good either.   
Between the black eye, the thin he had become and the ghostly paleness of his skin... he could have been death. And that scared her.   
Rapunzel watched at the red marks in his wrists caused by the chains, she then looked at her own free hands.  
The princess remembered something Lady Caine had said before throwing her in the cell: It's a shame Gothel wants you alive and unharmed. But Gothel didn't care about her... right?  
She decided to stop thinking about that. It wouldn't help them escape if she spent all the time trying to figure out Gothel's psychopath mind.   
They had taken away the satchel she had been carrying, which also contained her frying pan, so that left her with basically nothing.   
Rapunzel sighed.   
Those criminals had been careful not to put anything that could be used to escape in the room.   
All she could do was wait.  
Rapunzel watched Varian while sleeping, his face pacific and untroubled. The way it used to be before all that mess.   
The mess she'd caused...  
No.  
Varian is the moondrop, he was in a mess the moment he obtained his powers.   
And at least Quirin had been wise enough to cut his hair so that he could live a normal life, she hadn't been so lucky.   
Stop it, she ordered herself. The best she could do in that moment was to sleep, to gain energy to heal Varian and defeat Mother Gothel. Once and for all.

At some point of the night Varian had started coughing, waking up Rapunzel immediately.  
She watched with concern as he tried to breath while spitting blood. His eyes were watery and his face full of pain.   
This time, at least she could help. Rapunzel knelt next to him and held a cloth for him to cough in. It was the best she could do.  
" _Glad that you decided to come m'dear"_ said a voice from nowhere in particular.   
The princess felt her blood boil with anger.   
"YOU, STOP IT!" she yelled.  
The voice chuckled.  
" _But I'm not doing anything_ " she answered back.   
Varian looked at Rapunzel.  
"You...can also... hear her?" he managed to say between wheezes.   
"Don't speak, Varian" the princess responded while nodding.   
Gothel laughed again.  
" _How nice of you, so sisterly, I wonder were were you while he was rotting in prison"_  
"Shut up!" Rapunzel screamed. "Just quit hurting him!"   
The princess shivered as she felt something cold touching her shoulder.   
" _I told you, I'm not doing anything_ " she whispered in her ear " _it seems like poor Lady Caine got a little carried away with the boy"_  
Rapunzel took his trembling arm in her hands, Varian's blue eyes searching fearfully the room.   
" _Don't worry, he'll make it to the full moon"_ the voice said dismissively. " _But of course, I couldn't let Lady Caine get carried away with you too, now, could I?_ "  
"You... what?"  
" _I mean, is not as if it would work if one of the two is death_ "  
I should have imagined, Rapunzel thought sadly, she doesn't care about me.   
But what did she expect? She was a witch who had separated her from her parents as a baby and raised her in an isolated tower.   
The princess shook her head, the coldness in her shoulder had disappeared, which meant Gothel had probably disappeared too.   
"Varian?"  
His breathing had stabilized, but there was still blood almost everywhere. Even in her dress.  
"I...I'm okay"   
He gave her a crooked smile, wincing after it.   
Rapunzel held his hand, looking at the floor.   
"Varian, I'm sorry for everything I ever did, I really am" she said, tears falling to the rock floor. "I should have helped you when I could, then we wouldn't be in this mess and..."  
"No" she cut her off, shaking his head slightly.  
"What do you mean? You don't forgive me?" Rapunzel asked, her heart aching.  
"I don't forgive you because it wasn't your fault" he mumbled while the princesses eyes widened "the only mistake you committed was ever wanting to be my friend, I was stupid and irrational, I wish you could ever..."   
Rapunzel hugged him as suddenly as the first time. Varian yelped. "The...the ribs"  
She let go with worry. "Oh, right, sorry"  
In that moment, Rapunzel made a promise to herself. A promise she wasn't going to break no matter what happened, this time it wouldn't be like the promises she'd made to Varian or Adira.   
She promised herself, if they ever got out of there, she'd help and protect Varian no matter what.


	16. Rescue mission

Cassandra's POV:

The moment had finally come.  
Cassandra took a deep breath, glancing towards the chameleon resting in the head of her horse.   
"I hope the frog knows what he's doing" Eugene muttered behind her, sitting on Maximus.  
Cassandra could have sworn Pascal shot him a dirty look.   
She shook her head.  
It wasn't time for distractions, she had to concentrate on the plan:  
Once the sun set, Cassandra would lead a small recognition squad directed by Pascal, who supposedly knew where Rapunzel was.   
After verifying the position, the king would send reinforcements and wait until the full moon appeared.   
And then we improvise, Cassandra thought.   
It was true, after all, they were fighting against Gothel, who was also a sorceress. Which meant the possibilities of attack were unpredictable, they had to be prepared for everything.  
She clenched her teeth.   
Adira, standing at her right side, grunted.   
She had been grumpy since they had told her about Rapunzel healing Varian during the full moon. It obviously didn't help her mood knowing that Quirin's amber prision was impenetrable, even by her sword.   
Cassandra had been shocked when she found out about this, Varian would surely be sad when he found out. If they survived.   
Being the daughter of the captain also meant having a soldiers training, meaning she had to always be psychologically prepared to lose her comrades. And as much as she hated it, she couldn't let herself be driven by hope. That would cloud her fighting skills.  
"Cassandra"   
She turned towards the source of the voice, her father, the captain.   
"Yes?" She answered.   
The captain rubbed the back of his neck, mumbling something she couldn't hear.   
"Sorry, what did you say?"  
Her father cleared his throat. "I said, be careful"  
Cassandra smiled and jumped from her horse, hugging her father, who returned the hug without hesitation.   
"Who knew? Cassandra has a heart" she heard Eugene say to Adira.   
Cassandra made a mental note of whacking sticky boot when she had time.  
After some minutes waiting, darkness finally crept its away through the forest of Corona. They all headed towards the northeast, her horse leading the group of friends and three soldiers, the full moon shining behind some clouds.  
Hang on Rapunzel, we are coming for you two, she thought.

Varian's POV:

He was tired.  
Very tired.  
Varian had gotten into the conclusion that he had two broken ribs, that one of them had pierced through this lung and he was bleeding from the inside.  
That would explain his difficulty to breath and the blood coughing, as well as the quickening of his heart beat and how his state seemed to get worst as the time passed.   
The pain in his chest was agonizing, Varian gripped Rapunzels hand so that he didn't scream.  
She looked at him in silence, her face twisted with worry and concern.   
She still was the same princess that had made him so angry some days ago, the one he'd bowed to get revenge on as soon as he got out of prison.   
But then, why wasn't he angry?   
It was as if his negative feelings had been drained from his body, as if he had unconsciously forgiven everyone who had ever hurt him.   
He had confessed Rapunzel his darkest thoughts, how he didn't believe himself worthy of anything, how it was all his fault.   
And for some reason, it had felt good.  
It was as if all that time he had been carrying a burden in his back, and in that moment, beaten and in pain, he was finally free.   
He remembered something his father had said at the funeral of one guy of Old Corona, something that had shocked him and made the young alchemist think about his own mother: _He died that day because his body had served its purpose. His soul had done what it came to do, learned what it came to learn, and then was free to leave._  
Maybe he was ready to leave.   
He had served his purposed, he had learned to forgive. And in the end, Rapunzel still wanted to be his friend...  
But Varian still had something left to do.   
He had to free his father.   
That was his purpose, his reason to keep going and not dying in a dark cell underneath the ground.   
To make his father proud...  
Suddenly, he felt a jolt of pain in his chest, more painful than anything he had ever felt. Varian put his other hand over his mouth, coughing one last time, tasting the metallic taste of blood.   
His vision started to blur, Rapunzel panicked, she seemed to be screaming something at him. But he couldn't hear the words.   
With the last energy he had left, Varian whispered four words, his voice raspy. "Take care of him"   
Varian's hand lost his grip on Rapunzel, falling lifelessly against the rock floor, the sound of the rattling of the chains inaudible for him.   
He watched as Rapunzel shook him, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
The last thing he saw was a white light, coming right from the hole in the ceiling.


	17. Fighting

Cassandra's POV:

She ordered Fidella to stop.  
Pascal had just made a squeaky sound, jumping from the head of my horse and sticking his tongue on a stone arc at the beginning of the forest.   
Cassandra squinted her eyes, trying to see through the dark shadows of the trees, deciding whether it would be wiser to leave the horses there.   
She said something about a stone arc and a well with a hole. Thats what Rapunzel had told her, which meant they where going the right way. The full moon had already placed itself in the sky, it was probably the best moment to strike.  
"I think we should go on foot from here" interrupted Adira.   
Cassandra nodded slightly, jumping down from the horse and patting Fidella gratefully.   
She then put her fingers in her mouth and let go an ear piercing whistle, at which his loyal pet Owl came descending almost immediately.   
"Go and call for reinforcements, we have reached our destination and will  proceed to retrieve our target" she said. Owl took off, extending its wings and disappeared in the sky.  
Cassandra turned around and looked at the people accompanying her, most of them wearing determined looks on their faces. Specially Eugene, who had remained oddly silent during the whole ride.   
Adira took her dark sword from behind her back and gripped it with a fierce look in her eyes.   
As for the two guards accompanying them, Stan and Pete, well, Cassandra hoped they would fight better than try to intimidate. With their shaky knees and dubious glances, she doubted Gothel would see them as any threaten.   
Don't panic, she told herself, the king will come with reinforcements.  
Cassandra cleared her throat, dropping her gaze on each and every person standing in front of her. She recalled something his father had once said: _A motivational speech right before a battle should be enough to boost your soldiers confidence, always remember that._  
"We are about to enter Gothel's hideout. I'll be honest with you, there's no telling what will await us there. Gothel is a powerful sorceress who also appears to be inmortal. Moreover, she has Varian, the moondrop, and by the placement of the full moon in the sky there's a big chance he's been healed at the moment I'm speaking, which would also mean the total destruction of Corona, so... try not to die"  
Okay, she had never been very good at being optimistic, that was more Rapunzel's thang.   
In fact, her speech seemed to have the opposite effect that she intended it.   
Stan and Pete shook from head to toe, even Adira seemed nervous.  
Eugene gulped.  
She sighed.   
Who am I kidding? she thought, we're doomed.

Lady Caine's POV:

What the hell was she thinking?  
Making a deal with a witch?  
Ugh. It had been her worst decision since the attack to the royal family.   
It was true that it also had its advantages.   
Lady Caine had finally gotten her revenge on Rapunzel, shoving her in a stinky prison like the one she had lived in for months.   
Plus, she was now out of prison, free to do whatever she wanted...  
Except that last part wasn't true.   
She detested the feeling, that she was being used by Gothel, that she was just another minion.   
Lady Caine didn't like it when people bossed her around, specially that ghost of a witch who couldn't move on even in her death.   
But the worst part, was having to wait in that stupid cave, staring at a wall that reminded her of prison.  
Lady Caine scowled.   
And to be honest, she was starting to get bored to be stuck with the only two members left of her gang. Even Andrew had abandoned her.  
" _Don't you worry, sweetheart"_ came a very known voice in her head.  
Her scowl deepened, crossing her legs and trying to act confident.   
"Do you really have to do that?" she asked out loud, earning confused glances from the two men.   
" _Now, now, they will think you're crazy_ " Gothel giggled.   
Lady Caine scoffed, glaring at her thugs.  
"Just, what are you lookin at?" She said, her voice cold and menacing.  
The two men looked away, slightly frightened.   
The thief woman smirked, it was nice to know she still had that effect on people.   
" _I've got a job for you and your friends"_ Gothel whispered in a sly voice.   
Lady Caine raised a brow.  
For starters, they weren't her _friends_. But whatever.   
" _We have a few visitors waiting at our door..."_  
Lady Caine felt a cold grip in her shoulder, it was hard for her not to flinch.   
" _Your mission will be to delay them until the process is finished, did I make myself clear?"_  
She nodded, taking a dagger from her belt and looking to her own reflection, a small smile creeping to her face.   
It had been so long since she had fought a decent enemy.   
"Boys, looks like we have a job to do"


	18. The awakening

Eugene's POV:

"Is this the place?" he asked, pointing at the sealed well placed some meters away from them.  
Cassandra nodded nervously, taking one glance at the full moon.  
"It's almost time" Adira noted.  
Eugene swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, tightening his grip on the sword Cassandra had lend him before parting on the quest.   
I hope she's okay, he though anxiously. If something happened to Rapunzel... he just wouldn't be able to continue. Blondie was both his girlfriend and best friend, his light and comfort in the darkest times of his life. To think she was now stuck in a dark cell with Ghost Gothel and Varian.   
He shivered.  
"There's no point in hiding!" Cassandra suddenly said, glaring at some bushes like she was ready to chop them with her sword.   
Oh great, Eugene thought, she's finally gone bonkers.   
Adira adopted a defensive stance, holding her dark sword pointing at the dark part of the forest.   
"I'm warning you!" she yelled through gritted teeth.   
At this point, both him and the guards realized there _was_ something in the bushes, a dark and thin figure accompanied by two huge men who didn't look very friendly. All of them having their facial features hidden by the darkness and partially revealed by the light of the moon.   
"Who are you?" Eugene asked cautiously.   
The response to his question was a soft cackle and a female voice. "I see, all the gang has come to rescue the poor princess"   
"WHO ARE YOU?" Cassandra repeated, using her most menacing tone.   
"You don't recognize me? Ow, that hurts" she responded, putting a fake offended hand in her chest.  
And that's when she stepped into the light, all of them (except Adira) gasping at the same time.  
Lady Caine, he thought.   
"You? What are _you_ doing here?" Cassandra inquired.   
The red head smiled, playing with a dagger in her hands. "I got a job offer from some old woman who wanted me to watch over the spoiled princess and the little brat" she simply said.  
Eugene's eyebrows shot up in surprise.   
So she was the one who kidnapped Varian, luring Rapunzel into a trap too.   
"Tell us where they are!" Adira yelled.   
Lady Caine shook her head, shifting her weight.   
"No can do, tall person"   
And that's when all hell broke loose.  
Eugene watched as Cassandra charged into battle, raising her sword towards Lady Caine, who had a small smile playing in her lips.   
Just when the lady-in-waiting was about to impale her with her weapon, Lady Caine reacted with quick reflexes, blocking the blade with her own dagger calmly.   
But the two thugs accompanying Lady Caine didn't stood as still or confidently as their boss. They both took their own weapons, one of them holding some sort of whip while the other man had two strangely shaped knifes.   
The one with the whip tried to attack Cassandra, who was already fighting Lady Caine, but got blocked by Adira's sword.   
Eugene didn't had time to react, before the other guy almost hit him with one of his knifes.   
He dodged the attack, using the man's imbalance to send him to the ground with a kick.   
Next to him, he could see Adira.  
The whip was restraining her wrist, her sword way too far for her to reach it.   
The gigantic man, taller even than Adira, was pulling at the whip and getting closer, the shine of a knife in his other hand.   
Eugene knocked out the guy he was battling and rushed to help the warrior.   
He pulled the dark and heavy sword from the ground and threw it at Adira, who caught it while grinning.   
"I don't like it when people touch me" she told calmly to the man with the whip.   
Adira held the sword high above her head before cutting easily through the metal string. She then pulled at the whip, sending the man close enough for her to punch him, he fell to the ground unconscious.  
Eugene was just about to celebrate when he suddenly heard Cassandra scream.

Cassandra's POV:

She was sparring against Lady Caine, who was way more agile than Cassandra had expected her to be (considering the red head had spent several months in prison).   
Cassandra moved rapidly, sending blows with her sword and blocking Lady Caine's dagger at the same time, all of this while the other woman snickered at her.   
"You know, Andrew told us to be cautious with you, wasn't he your ex or something?" Lady Caine said.   
"That's none of your business" she growled back, managing to kick her in the ribs.   
Lady Caine jumped backwards, rubbing the left side of her abdomen, she laughed softly.   
"What's so funny?" Cassandra demanded angrily.   
But her opponent didn't respond, she just charged back, her dagger reflecting the full moon.   
The lady-in-waiting grunted, gripping her sword to block Caine's attack. It hadn't occurred to her that Lady Caine could have  _two_ daggers.   
At the same time Cassandra's sword collided with her rival's blade, she felt a wave of pain erupt from her leg.   
Lady Caine laughed evilly, retreating with the other dagger, knowing that Cassandra couldn't fight back at the moment.   
The lady-in-waiting looked at her leg, blood streaming from the injury where the other dagger was still stuck in.   
Cassandra gritted her teeth, unable of suppressing a scream as she pulled the weapon from her leg.   
This would be a good moment for the cavalry to arrive, she though somberly.   
She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain and holding the sword with her trembling hands.   
Lady Caine looked from the unconscious bodies of her two men to Eugene and Adira, who were surrounding her from left and right, she smiled.   
"WHAT THE HECK IS SO FUNNY?!" Cassandra yelled.   
She didn't respond.   
"You are outnumbered, the wisest choice would be to surrender peacefully" Adira said stoically.   
"Yeah, and tell us where blondie and the little guy are kept" Eugene added.  
Lady Caine laughed a little.  
"But its already too late" she snickered.   
Just then, an explosion of blinding light appeared from the sealed well. Breaking the rock with the hole on top of it and pointing to the sky were the moon, uncovered by the clouds, shone brightly.   
Adira dropped her sword, which was now glowing blue like crazy.   
She gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.   
"No... This...this can't be happening" she stammered.   
Cassandra gulped, Eugene looking more confused than ever.   
"What's going on?!" he asked.  
"Varian's powers have awakened" she barely whispered.   
Black rocks started to sprout from the ground.


	19. Blue hair

Rapunzel's POV:

Varian's state had been getting worse as the time passed.  
Luckily, the full moon would soon appear through the wells hole. Then, Rapunzel would be able to heal the poor boy properly, or at least that's what Gothel had said, anyways.   
It pained her to see him so hurt and sad, gripping her hand as if his life depended on it.   
She knew Varian was suffering, she could tell by the way he gritted his teeth, by how his muscles tensed every time he inhaled.   
Rapunzel promised herself she would protect him, but how could she do that? She didn't even know how to activate her own powers, how could Gothel expect her to activate Varian's?  
And even if she did. What would happen next?   
Adira, the stoic warrior who always seemed calm and cocky even in the worst situations, had _panicked_ at the prospect of Varian being the moondrop.   
She had said Corona would be destroyed if the moondrop was awakened, and judging by the ruined Dark Kingdom, Rapunzel could tell she wasn't exaggerating.  
To put a live over a thousand.  
To break a promise with another.   
To save a friend or her kingdom...  
Varian put a hand over his mouth, coughing blood once again.  
Rapunzel took note of her friends paleness, his eyes slightly closed.   
She tensed, the blood draining from her face, something was definitely wrong.   
"Varian, are you feeling okay?"  
He didn't respond.   
His hand loosened the death grip on her hand, making Rapunzel to hold it more tightly.   
"Varian!" she screamed, putting her trembling hand on his shoulder and shaking him. "No no no, Gothel says you will survive! You hear me?!"  
His eyes drifted from her to the floor.  
"Snap out of it! I promised I would get us out of here, remember?" she sobbed, unable of containing her tears. "Speak to me!"  
"Take care of him" she barely heard him whisper.   
Rapunzel let go of his hand, which fell to the cold floor lifelessly, the rattling of the chains startling her momentarily.   
"No" she gasped. "No, This...this can't be true"   
A white light illuminated the room, the full moon suddenly appearing from the whole in the ceiling.   
Rapunzel took Varian's bloody hand, trying to find his pulse.   
There wasn't.   
Her eyes widened as shaky sobs racked her body, she watched at her own hands, covered in Varian's blood. The moon laughed at her, it was too late.   
" _Heal him"_ she heard a voice whisper.  
Rapunzel sadness turned to anger in a split second, standing up and punching a wall. "YOU! You killed him!" She screamed, letting more tears run down her cheeks.   
" _Yes, but you can still heal him"_ Gothel retorted.   
"Don't you get it? He's death! There's nothing to heal!" she yelled back, falling to her knees.   
Rapunzel looked at Varian's calm expression, his closed eyes, a slight smile drawn in his lips.   
How could she let something so horrible happen to him?   
The white aura of the moon seemed to increase.   
" _The moon is now in position, heal him now and he will come back, you brat!"_ The witch growled impatiently.   
Rapunzel took his hand. Was that even possible?   
It's worth the try, she thought.   
"What...what must I do?" she sniffed.   
" _Sing the song_ "   
"You mean...?"  
" _No, not your song_ " Gothel said pissed, which angered and confused Rapunzel at first.   
Then it all clicked.  
That song.  
Those lyrics.  
Rapunzel wiped her tears, holding her hands over Varian's chest. Her hair, which she had tried to braid, covering most of the circled room's floor.

"Power shine and flow...  
Lead me through the night,  
Help me if I'm lost,  
tell me what's wrong, what's right...

Energy seemed to start forming around Varian, Rapunzel's hair levitating and shining brightly like the sun, while the boy's streak color spread through his head.   
Rapunzel thought of the first time she had met Varian, how she had smiled at her brightly and tried his best to help her...  
Rapunzel heard Gothel's maniacal laugh of glee, but she didn't stop.

Heal me when I'm hurt,  
shield from Fate's design.  
Guide those who need route  
tell me what's wrong, what's right...

I won't fail you Varian, Rapunzel though, not again.   
Even if I have to break Adira's promise, even if I destroy Corona or revive Gothel... I won't let you die here.   
...She remembered the moment Varian had betrayed them, how she had realized all that time alone had changed him...

..What's wrong, what's right?..."

...Her relationship with Varian had been like a lunar phase: first it had been the light, then a path towards darkness... it was time for him to be a full moon again, she thought.  
And then, after Rapunzel's melodic voice died and there was silence... everyone was blinded in a white explosion of light coming from Varian.   
Rapunzel shut her eyes tightly, still pressing both hands over his chest, from which she could now feel a faint beating of a heart.   
She opened her eyes slowly, two hands reaching for her wrists.   
Varian's blue eyes locked hers with surprise.   
His hair was a glowing icy blue, floating in the air as if there was no gravity.   
The chains had been destroyed by the energy coming from Varian, as well as the ceiling, revealing the night sky covered in stars. The full moon was once again covered by the clouds.   
Rapunzel looked at her own hair in amazement, exactly like Varian's, except for the length and the golden glow.   
They stared at each other in shock.   
Varian looked from his hair to Rapunzel quizzically.   
"What did I miss?" he smiled.


	20. Connected

Varian's POV:

Varian's eyes shot open as a wave of energy passed through his body, he jolted, feeling two hands pressing against his chest.   
The light was blinding, but for some reason he could tell who it was, Rapunzel.   
What had happened?  
Oh, yeah, he had been death for some seconds, Rapunzel must have resurrected him.   
He could see her hair, levitating in slow motion while shining like the sun.  
The moonlight grew fainter until he could finally see Rapunzel's face. Her eyes were red and puffy, hot tears still flowing down her cheeks.   
He looked at the walls of the room, the moon had disappeared behind the clouds, yet there was still a bluish light coming from somewhere.   
Varian then realized something, if Rapunzel had healed him, did that also mean that his powers had been returned? He pulled a lock of his hair and was surprised to find that it was glowing just like the princesses, except for the color, his was more of a white-blue light.   
He could feel a goofy smile forming in his face, just like the ones he used to smile before his father was encased.  
"What did I miss?" was the first thing he said to the wide-eyed Rapunzel.   
She choked a sob, pulling him in a warm hug.   
"I...I thought I'd lost you"  the princess said shakily.   
Varian blinked. Did she really care that much about him?   
Something inside him told him so, a feeling like he could read what Rapunzel was thinking.   
He considered him like a little brother, someone she'd bowed to protect.   
She was happy and relieved, but also scared about what might happen next.   
Okay... where did that come from? Varian thought. It was almost as if he could tell Rapunzels emotions just by hugging her.   
Rapunzel let him go, wiping the tears from her eyes while wearing a small smile.   
Varian looked at himself, searching for any injury or bruise. There weren't. His chains had also melted down and were lying in the floor, completely destroyed, which meant his wrists were free. Which meant he could escape.  
Varian weighed his options:  
If he decided to go with Rapunzel, they might take him back to prison. And they would surely cut his hair, even though an idea of how freeing his dad had started to form in his mind.   
But if he escaped from Rapunzel, were would that lead him? He didn't want to be lonely again, not when everything had started to look up for him...  
Was it possible that Cassandra and the others would forgive him, just like Rapunzel had?   
The princess put a hand on his shoulder, startling him for a moment.   
Her green eyes bore into his, her glowing hair slowly turning back to normal and falling to the floor.   
He felt his own power dim, waiting in somewhere inside of him to be used again while his hair turned white instead of his usual black.   
Seriously? I mean, it's cool and all but, white? Varian thought. Well, I guess we are even, she gets unnaturally long hair and I get it in a freakish color.   
"Varian, don't worry" Rapunzel said softly, not saying anything about his new and strange hair "you aren't going back to prison"  
Varian's white eyebrows shot up in surprise, had she just read his mind?  
"And I'll make sure that we find a way to free your dad, I promise" she added hesitantly, as if she was still afraid what his reaction might be.  
Varian simply nodded. "I trust you"   
He could tell she was telling the truth, even thought he couldn't exactly explain how.  
Rapunzel's face brightened, looking like she was ready to give him another one of her bone-crashing hugs.   
Varian cleared his throat, pointing towards the gap in the rocks that lead to the exit of the cave.   
"We should probably get out of here before this place crumbles down" he said tensely, looking at the cracks in the rocks coming from his 'dying spot'.   
Fortunately, like the metal chains, the wooden door had been obliterated by the explosion.  
The room was now in complete darkness and silence, they could only hear the constant dripping of water coming from one of the rocks.   
They were free.   
Or at least that's what they thought.   
Suddenly, right in front of them, dust started to swirl in the ground forming a miniature hurricane.  
"What...what's happening?" Rapunzel asked with fear.   
Varian's eyes widened as he realized how the grains of soil and drops of water had started forming a somewhat human-shaped body.   
"Is that...?" he started.   
Rapunzel gasped, pulling the boy behind her protectively while holding a defensive stance.   
She tugged at her hair, ready to use it if something really bad happened, which judging by their luck so far, was very likely.  
Once the process was complete, Varian couldn't help but tremble.   
" _What’s wrong, are you afraid_?"   
The voice from his nightmares, the one that had been haunting him for the past month and almost driven him insane... was alive. And it was standing right in front of him.   
He felt his knees tremble as the-voice-which-now-also-had-a-body pulled her black hood back, revealing a woman with high cheekbones, curly black hair and the evilest grin he'd seen since himself.   
Her eyes lied on Varian.  
"Calm down, Varian..." Rapunzel said through gritted teeth.   
She is also paralyzed with fear, Varian thought desperately.   
Gothel was already able to hurt hI’m when she was only a shadow of herself, how powerful was she now that she had a physical body?   
"Varian, please, try to breath more slowly" the princess urged him, taking a step back closer to him.    
Varian hadn't realized how he had been hyperventilating, his hair starting to glow again as well as Rapunzel's.   
He clenched and unclenched his fists, calming his breath back to normal.   
His power was more difficult to control than he had expected. Varian could feel it, pushing past his mental barriers, craving for more.  
Black rocks sprouted around them, Rapunzel and Varian jumped.  
Gothel cackled at this.   
"This will be fun"

Rapunzel's POV:

She couldn't describe just how happy she had been when Varian had opened his eyes, and even happier when he had said those three words: I trust you.   
Rapunzel had suddenly felt a bond forming between them, a gravitational force that make her think of him as her brother, her equal.   
They were moon and sun, after all.   
Then Mother Gothel appeared to ruin the moment, one part of her brain screaming at her to run while the other just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.   
She felt the fear irradiating from Varian, his powers getting out of control, causing her hair to start glowing as well.   
They were connected, she realized. Which meant if Varian lost control so did she.   
It had taken her a lot of time to comprehend how to heal with her hair, and it had been merely coincidence how she learned to control the black rocks. And she was the sundrop! She couldn't imagine how hard it must be for Varian, being the moondrop also meant that he was directly related to the rocks.   
She gritted her teeth.   
This is what Gothel wanted, to come back to life and destroy Corona. She was going to try and manipulate Varian.   
Rapunzel couldn't let that happen.   
"You won't get away with this" she stated angrily "you may be alive now, but there's nothing you can do to hurt us"   
Gothel grinned. " _Oh, is that so?_ "   
Her voice echoed through the room while her body dissolved into dust, only to reappear behind them, holding a dagger.   
Varian yelped, but Rapunzel reacted quickly, taking him by the wrist and pulling him out of the way.   
Another black rock appeared were he had been. Rapunzel threw her hair to Gothel, successfully managing to wrap it around her former mother's arm.   
She chuckled before disappearing again.   
The dust circled them, an odd cold feeling reaching Rapunzel.   
Varian shivered, his blue eyes reflecting the blue light from his hair.    
She saw him tremble and immediately felt bad, the kid had been through too much.   
Rapunzel took his shaky hand reassuringly. "We can do this, just try to flow with it and the black rocks will obey you"   
"Ok...Okay" he stammered.   
"That won't work with him" Gothel said.   
"What do you mean?" Rapunzel growled.  
The witch sighed like she was just an annoying little girl asking something obvious.   
"You might think he is like you, but he isn't. Don't you see it? The moondrop and the sundrop are oposite forces, created to battle each other and produce balance. It was only because of that balance between light and darkness that I am even here. He is destruction itself!"    
Varian flinched at that, he must have been thinking the same thing as her. That white halo produced when she had healed him... that was what brought back Gothel. A white light that could bring back the death.   
Did that mean...   
"You planned this from the beginning" Varian whispered.   
Rapunzel squeezed his hand in comfort. I am here, she wanted to say.   
"After kidnapping Rapunzel you got the idea to turn another baby into the moondrop, that way by joining our powers you could be inmortal without the risk of going to the dark kingdom each time you needed the opal. Then, you kidnapped me and gave me the opals powers" Varian scowled, growing more angry at each word.   
Rapunzel was stunned that he had figured all that by himself.   
" _You got it mostly right. Actually, I didn't 'kidnap' you, Varian_ " she replied mockingly " _it was your dear father who came begging to me... in fact, he was going to sacrifice you after the process, only I was able to stop him and safe your life by cutting your hair_ " Gothel added with fake sorrow.  
Varian paled and shook his head.   
"Liar! That... can't be true" he yelled.  
Black rocks surrounded them, finally cracking the floor and the walls, probably growing in the outside too. Thought the opened ceiling they could here shouts and screams, had someone actually come to save them?  
"She is messing with you, Varian, don't listen to her!" Rapunzel said.   
" _You might not believe me, but what about the fact that your mother is death? Can you deny it?"_ Gothel asked with delight.   
Varian seemed taken aback, he blinked.   
"She... she died giving me birth. What does that have to do with the moondrop?" he managed to say, his voice breaking in the end.   
Mother Gothel reformed in front of them, wearing a smile in her unnaturally young face.   
" _He didn't told you, did he?_ " She asked.   
"Told me what?" he replied, letting Rapunzels hand go and clenching his fists.  
She hadn't seem him this angry since the time he'd tried to kill Cassandra and her mother.   
It honestly scared her.   
" _Your mother died in the dark kingdom the exact same day you received your powers"_ Gothel said " _she died because of you!"_  
"What do you mean?!" he yelled.   
" _The dark rocks killed your mother._ You _killed her, Varian!"_  
A second after Gothel said this, Rapunzel felt her hair glowing brighter than before. Varian stood there, his silent tears and hair floating in the air.   
The dark rocks appeared quickly from everywhere, the well started to fall apart, it was as if the system of caves underneath the earth was going to get destroyed. And the white light coming from the mix of blue and golden energy... the power, it was indescribable.   
All Rapunzel could hear was Gothel's laughter.   
She reached for Varian's hand and pulled him closer to her, acting on instinct, she grabbed a black rock and commanded them to form a protective barrier.   
Surprisingly, it worked.   
She held Varian's small ungloved hand as the glowing rocks encased them.  
Rapunzel shut her eyes closed, hoping the barrier would bare the force the entire ground collapsing would cause.

Adira's POV:

Her worst nightmares and fears were coming true, and the worst part? Quirin wasn't there to help her out.   
Rocks sprouted from the ground, just like that time in the past, in the dark kingdom. Adira could still hear the screams, the horror.   
Now someone else was screaming.   
The guards, Stan and Pete.  
She grunted, dodging the stalactites... or was it stalagmites? Never mind.   
She dodged the black rocks, which was easier said than done, considering she couldn't possibly predict were they were going to appear.   
Cassandra and Eugene had apparently decided to follow her, unlike Lady Caine, who had preferred to go on her own and in the opposite direction.   
Bad choice.  
They eventually reached the guards, the skinny one being injured by one of rocks.   
His friend pulled at his arm, urging him to keep walking.   
Cassandra rushed to them and took him by the other arm, running alongside the bigger guard and wincing because of her now bandaged injury.  
"Where are we exactly running to?" Eugene asked as a second explosion of light temporarily blinded them.   
There wasn't time to think.   
Run. Run. Run. That was the only command her mind could give her.   
She tightened her grip on her black sword, slashing the rocks that dared try to touch her.   
Eventually, they were all out of breath, panting and fighting to keep dodging the rocks.   
And that's when the floor started shaking.   
"A freaking earthquake? Are you kidding me?!?" Eugene exclaimed.   
Cassandra narrowed her eyes. "Not an earthquake"   
Adira barely nodded, before saying: "The floor is going to collapse"   
The guard with the deep gash in his leg panicked. "I don't wanna die!"  
Cassandra slapped him. "Keep it together, man!"  
Adira rolled her eyes. As if that is going to help in our current situation, she thought.   
In that moment, their only hope was to make it to the stone arc across the forest, Cassandra seemed to know that too.   
How could that princess be so naive? To save that kid instead of her whole kingdom? Was she insane? He might be the son of her best friend, but did he really deserve been rescued?   
"That kid'd better be worth it" she murmured to herself.   
Cassandra glanced at Adira, frowning. "He _is_ "

Cassandra's POV:

They kept running for some more time until finally reaching the stone arc, the dark rocks seemed unable to reach them from that distance.   
Cassandra sighed, still a burning sensation in the place in her leg where a dagger had been stuck.   
We're safe, she thought.   
For now, another voice in her head said.   
It was true. If Varian really had awakened his powers and they were as unstable as Adira had described them... well, they were kinda doomed.  
"Please, let them be okay" she pleaded.   
Eugene stood next to her, panting heavily while wearing a concerned look.   
"Don't worry, it's blondie we're talking about" he said, looking like he was trying to convince himself rather than her. "She will probably pull out some last-minute superpower and safe us all, if the cavalry doesn't arrive first"   
Cassandra nodded, still looking at the forest covered in glowing rocks.   
Just then, a dark figure descended from the sky.   
Owl.   
Which meant that...  
"Talking 'bout the cavalry" Adira smiled.   
Cassandra turned around to find herself standing in front of the king, who was also riding a horse and followed by lots of other guards with weapons and the Corona emblem. Her father nodded his head towards Cassandra from behind the monarch.   
"Your magesty" she bowed.   
"Where is Rapunzel?" he asked, worry written all over his face.  
Eugene and Adira stepped at both of her sides.   
Cassandra felt terrible, she had failed. She was a failure, unable to rescue her best friend or retrieve Varian.   
"She is still there" Eugene said, looking at the floor.   
And just before the king could say anything, the floor started shaking, the ground behind the stone arc cracking and falling apart into the big hole the forest had become.  
The entire cavalry fell silent.   
Just great, Cassandra thought bitterly.   
Eugene's eyes widened.   
"Maybe they are still alive...?" he said hopefully.  
Impossible, the entire floor of the crater was filled with black rocks. Eugene seemed to realize this and dropped to his knees.   
"No" she barely whispered.   
A hot liquid streamed down her cheeks. Tears. But Cassandra never cried, it had been so long since the last time she cried...   
Rapunzel and Varian. DEAD. It was just so... unreal.   
Adira stepped in, looking from the edge of the cliff. A black rock sprouted next to her, startling them all.   
"They aren't dead" she said. "Or at least, Varian isn't dead"   
Cassandra looked at her wide-eyed, "What do you mean?"   
Adira turned to look at the king, her black sword making everyone remember the place where she'd come from.   
"You saw how the rocks in the Dark Kingdom stopped growing once the opal had been drained of its power, if Varian were dead this things would have stopped popping out" she explained pointing at the rock before slicing it.   
Cassandra felt a spark of hope settle in her heart, Eugene got up and searched the crater, squinting his eyes.   
"We have to go there and help Rapunzel!" the king exclaimed impatiently.   
"No" Adira said firmly.   
A vein in the Kong's forehead seemed to be about to explode. "No?"   
Adira shook her head. "We wouldn't reach the place safely, unless you are willing to sacrifice your men?"  
"What?! Of course not!" The king turned red.   
"Then it's settled"  
Adira looked at Cassandra, who couldn't keep herself from being mad at her.   
"What's settled?!" She asked desperately.   
The stoic warrior avoided eye contact.  
Surprisingly, it was Eugene who deduced what her body language meant.  
"Its all up to Rapunzel" he said firmly "she'll have to take down Gothel and... well, you know"  
And Varian.  
If things got out of control she'd also have to take down Varian.   
Cassandra shuddered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost 3000 words. This is longest chapter thus far, I’m so proud of myself.


	21. Dust

Varian's POV:

Varian covered his ears, his eyes tightly shut, hoping that the voices in his head would stop if he stayed silent. But they didn't, there was no escape from her. She was trying to turn him insane, that way it would be easier to control him.    
And as much as he hated it, Varian had to admit that it was working.   
“FAILURE" One of them said, it's echo making the alchemist wince as a headache begun to appear.   
"There’s nothing you can do..."   
"GIVE UP! You'll just ruin everything again!"  
“You, little moon scum!!"   
Then came the laughter, they were laughing at him. Everyone: Rapunzel, Cassandra, Eugene, his father... and he couldn't do anything. Anything except stay still and wait until it finished.   
This isn't real, he tried to convince himself, they wouldn't do this to me.   
"YOU KILLED YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!" A woman's voice barked angrily.   
Varian flinched, something in her voice was so familiar... "WHY VARIAN, WHY? I WAS YOUR MOTHER!"  
Varian swallowed the lump in his throat, his eyes prickling with tears.  
"Mum? I...I'm sorry please, it...it was an accident I didn't meant to..."  
"You tried to destroy Corona..." said Rapunzel, disappointment clear in her voice.   
Varian bit his lip, that hadn't been an accident.   
"HE ALSO CRUSHED ME!" Cassandra yelled in his ear.  
That's not true, he thought, I didn't kill her.   
Right? It was hard to tell, what was truth and what was fake. In Gothel's mindscape reality depended on what she wanted it to be.   
Varian whimpered, rubbing his temples furiously while being curl up in a ball. The pain was unbearable, it was as if and ax had just split his skull in two. He didn't think he'd keep it together much longer.  
"Why don't just give up?" Gothel's smooth voice said, devoid of any emotion or its usual echo "Wouldn't it be easier? Wouldn't it ease your pain?"

The alchemist shook his head, his teeth gritted and fists clenched. This was the woman that had ruined his life, Gothel, who had cursed him with powers that killed his mother and destroyed the kingdom he used to care about, why would he trust her?   
Yeah, his head ached and hearing those voices was the worst torture he had ever endured. But he would never give up, not if that would please Gothel or hurt Rapunzel.   
"No!" he shouted, standing up slowly "I won't give in!"  
Wind roared in his ears, carrying the voices that had been insulting him, making them speak at the same time. Their echo rattled Varian's brain, but he didn't scream, he wouldn't give Gothel the satisfaction to know she had hurt him.   
Several tears fell down his cheeks, but he remained silent, holding his glowing hair and letting his tears gravitate around him. His eyes remained closed. 

"Stop resisting, Varian, you know what you want" she touched his shoulders, the cold sending shivers through his spine "You are destruction, you have power! Now, USE IT"

"NEVER! Get away from me!" he shouted.   
Varian heard Gothel snort. "Pitiful"  
The dust kept swirling around him, making scratches in his clothes and skin, the voices growing louder and louder. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground, still pulling at his aching head and wishing the voices would just shut up.   
Wishing that Rapunzel were there....

Rapunzel's POV:

Rapunzel's eyes fluttered open, only to find herself surrounded by black rocks, her golden hair glowing and gravitating, the only source of light in the dark dome she had made out of the strange rocks.   
She gawped at it during a moment, letting herself get caught in the beauty of the sundrop. Then, a thought assaulted her, making Rapunzel snap out of her trance.   
What just happened? she asked herself...  
There had been an explosion, right after she healed Varian and made sure he was okay. Everything had fallen apart, rocks started to sprout from everywhere. She had reacted out of instinct, pulling at the boy's wrists and controlling those rocks...  
"Varian!"   
It wasn't that difficult to find him, though, with his glowing blue hair and all.   
He was crouched against one black rock, staring blankly at the space in front of him, holding his knees against his chest.  
Something was off.   
Rapunzel crawled to reach him (the dome wasn't big enough for her to stand up) and touched his shoulder hesitantly.   
"Varian? Is everything okay?" She asked, shaking him slightly.   
But the boy didn't respond, it was as if he couldn't see her or anything around him. He was completely out of it.   
Rapunzel frowned, waving a hand in front of his face without the slightest response.   
His hair was also shining, gravity abandoning it the same way that occurred with Rapunzel's.  
Gothel must have done something to him, she thought fearfully. But what?  
Now that she had her 'body' back there was no telling what the limits of her powers where. She could already make illusions and manipulate her mind at a considerable distance, and judging by the intel her mother had told her about Varian's sudden injury, it also seemed life she could hurt without anybody noticing it.   
Rapunzel looked at the young alchemists glassy eyes, which were reflecting the blue light like a mirror. Was it possible that he was somehow trapped in his own mind?   
And if that was the case, how could she connect with Varian and pull him out of the trance?  
Connect.  
She had an idea.   
It might actually work, the princess thought.   
Rapunzel reached for his small hands tentatively, tangling her fingers with Varian's.   
She concentrated hard, humming the melody of the healing song during some seconds, her eyes closed.  
It was then, that a white light begun to form between them as a combination of the moon and sundrops powers.   
Rapunzel remained her eyes closed, thinking about entering Varian's mind, wanting to know what was going on there...  
The light blinded her. Rapunzel set her jaw tightly, waiting.   
And then, she woke up inside Varian's mindscape.   
The princess was in a dark desert-looking place, the sky was red, sending chills down Rapunzel's spine 'cause she remembered how red used to be Gothel's favorite color.   
Then she noticed it.   
She squinted her eyes, looking at a small humanoid figure standing in the middle of what seemed a sand hurricane, a strange glow being emitted from the persons head.   
Varian.  
She called his name, hoping that her screams would reach him through the loud sounds and voices of the tornado that was surrounding him, but there wasn't any sign that he had heard her at all.   
Suddenly, he collapsed.   
"No!" she screamed.   
Rapunzel pushed through the hurricane, trying to get to the boy.   
Talking 'bout feeling the wind in her hair, she thought somberly.   
"You aren't supposed to be here!" She heard a voice yell.   
Rapunzel flinched, still not used to having a voice speaking inside her head (or Varian’s, for that matter).   
The princess ignored it, putting her hands in front of her face to avoid the scratches the strange sand was making in her skin and clothes.   
"DON'T GET ANY CLOSER TO HIM, MISSY!" Gothel shouted in Rapunzel's ear.  
She was tempted to snort, now she wanted to play the mother card?   
Rapunzel kneeled next to Varian, who was semi conscious and clutching at his head. She bit her lip.  
"Varian, it's me! I'm here!" she yelled through the noise.   
Varian's eyes shot opened, focusing on her and then been flooded with relief. Tears from his eyes floated in the air, making Rapunzel wonder if she could also do that.   
"How can you be here?" he asked.   
"THATS WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU STUPID BOY" Gothel suddenly said.  
Varian winced, Rapunzel somehow knowing how badly his head was hurting in that moment.   
The princess didn't waste time, she immediately took Varian's hands without asking and started humming the song.   
Gothel kept yelling 'colourful' insults to them while they begun vanishing.   
Some seconds later, they were free from Gothel's illusion. 

Varian and Rapunzel both took a deep breath at the same time.   
They remained silent for a moment, staring at each other and trying to assimilate what had just happened.  
"Uh, Rapunzel?" Varian asked while tracing his hand down a glowing black rock.  
Rapunzel blinked at the mention of her name.  
"Yes?"  
He gulped. "Was it real, where you really... there?"   
Rapunzel nodded, she was also very surprised. To think that they could enter each other's minds... it was kind of creepy.   
Varian looked around in confusion. "Where are we?" he asked.   
"The tunnel was going to collapse so I made a black rock protective barrier" she answered.  
The boy eyed her with disbelief.   
"But I thought you said you couldn't control the black rocks anymore!" he exclaimed.   
Rapunzel shook her head, she couldn't believe it herself.   
"I couldn't heal either but, hey, you're alive" the princess responded.   
Varian nodded, fidgeting with his fingers while thinking.   
"Were you touching me when you made the black rocks appear?"  
Rapunzel's eyes widened.   
Her hair had also been activated when she touched the black rocks for the first time, only for her ability to manipulate them to be taken from her once she left Corona, once she got far away from Varian. And then she'd healed Varian, awaking his powers but also her own. They had a strange connection, they were able to sense each other's feeling and enter their minds capes whenever they...   
"We can control our powers when we are touching each other, that's it!" Rapunzel said.   
Varian nodded his agreement.  
"That makes sense"   
Rapunzel touched his hand startling him, she laughed. He didn't think it made sense at all! It was frustrating and couldn't be explained by science.   
"This is incredible!" she said "You know what this means, right?"  
Varian grinned.  
"It means we can kick some serious dust-butt"


	22. Gravity

Eugene's POV:

Eugene couldn't possibly describe just how anxious he felt about leaving Rapunzel and Varian to handle the situation.   
He was pacing back and forth at the edge of the crater, pausing from time to time to see what was going on, only to be met by sharp rocks and a feeling that something was going to happen.   
Cassandra was talking with her father about possible strategies, the king listening intently while trying to hide his concern.    
And Adira, well, she simply stood there serenely, squinting her eyes and holding her black sword.  
Ugh, if there was something he hated, that was waiting. And he had been waiting to rescue his girlfriend for two freaking days.   
"Please, let blondie be okay" Eugene murmured.   
"And Varian" Adira added.   
Eugene turned around, bemused. Adira cared about Varian? That was new.  
"Uh, yeah, him too" he said while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.   
Eugene then thought he had seen a flicker of emotion in her face, annoyance. But it only lasted one second, as her scowl was immediately replaced with indifference.   
However, the king, who had heard and seen this, didn't seem as ready to drop the topic.   
"But you must agree" he said, facing Adira, who was several inches taller than the monarch "that Rapunzel's safety is far more important than Varian's"   
Eugene watched as Adira's grip tightened on the swords handle, making her knuckles turn white.   
"As a former soldier of the Dark Kingdom, my duty is to defend the king and his subjects" the warrior responded, her face emotionless whatsoever "and as Varian was born in the capital, that includes him"   
The king arched an eyebrow.  
Both the captain and Cassandra, as well as all the soldiers standing there, where staring at them.   
"What is that supposed to mean? You are saying that brat's life is more valuable than the princess's?" King Frederic scowled.   
Cassandra shared a troubled look with Eugene. Someone had to stop this before it ended in a direct confrontation from Adira. They both knew the painted woman well enough to know that the fact that Frederic was the king wouldn't be an obstacle for her if she was really pissed off.   
Adira clenched her teeth.   
"I'm saying that Varian is my comrade's son, and I strongly believe that every life has the same value despite the title they are born with"   
At this, the king turned red.   
Oh no, things are sure to get messy if someone doesn't intervene, Eugene thought.   
And of course it had to be him the one to jump between a weirdo with a seven-feet-tall unbreakable sword and Corona's king.   
Just great.   
"Okay, lets calm down" he said, making a 'time out' sign with his hands "your majesty" Eugene added in response to the king's glare.  
Cassandra face-palmed.   
"I was just trying to confirm this soldier's loyalty" king Frederic snarled "which is obviously on the boy that tried to destroy my kingdom rather than it's savior."  
Eugene shifted uncomfortably, there was really nothing he could say about that.   
Even though Adira didn't felt the same way:  
"You mean the boy whom Rapunzel abandoned? The same boy who lost his father, reputation and freedom at almost the same time? The one you threw in a prison cell. For goodness sake he's just a fourteen-year-old!"  
At this point both Adira and the king were trembling with anger while gripping their weapons.   
Uh-oh, are they really going to start fighting NOW? Eugene thought.   
The king opened his mouth, probably to order his guards the immediate arrest and incarceration of Adira as a traitor (not that any of those guys would be able to lay a finger on her), but just then, Cassandra stepped between the monarch and Adira.  
The lady-in-waiting gave both of them a fulminating glare, making clear just how mad she was.   
Eugene involuntarily cringed. Sometimes, Cassandra could be damn scary.   
"Are you serious?" she bellowed, causing several of the guards who knew her flinch, including her father "We're battling against probably the most powerful enemy Corona has ever faced, counting on both Rapunzel _and_ Varian's strengths, and you're going to start discussing over something as irrelevant as who is right?" Cassandra took a calming breath. The king and Adira looked at the ground in embarrassment, not happy at all about being lectured. "Look, we won't be able to help those two if we just stand here fighting each other. It's true, Varian did try to destroy Corona on his own free will" Adira scoffed, the king looking pleased with himself "but it was kind of justified, as Rapunzel also committed a grave mistake when she ignored him in a desperate moment, which was also justified as she was able to save Corona from that blizzard" the lady-in-waiting sighed, the king furrowed his brow and Adira smirked "The point is, you both are right in your own way... but none of that will matter if Corona is destroyed"  
The captain, Cassandra's father, nodded. He placed a hand on her shoulder, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly (which was the captain's equivalent to a huge, proud grin while crying: “that’s my girl!”).   
He looked at the king, his gaze intend and determined.   
"My daughter is right, your majesty" he said "right now, our priority must be Corona, regardless of the fact that Varian is still considered a wanted criminal"   
Frederic bored straight into his eyes, still a glint of fury in them. But then, he nodded. The king followed the captain towards the strategists tent, stopping halfway to say one last thing to Adira.   
"Keep this in mind" the king growled "Varian is and will keep being a criminal and prisoner of Corona for as long as I say"   
And with that last cheerful statement, the king disappeared within the rows of guards and soldiers.   
Adira clenched her fists, Eugene had never seen her this angry. Did she even know Varian? Why did she care so much for a stranger?  
The warrior raised her sword and with not a single word (hey, that rhymes), she walked away fuming, leaving poor Eugene utterly confused.   
He turned to Cassandra, standing two meters away from him. She frowned at the soldiers, who where whispering at each other about the recent events. It only took one look to silence all of them.   
Well, at least I'm not the only one afraid of her, he thought.   
"What was all that about?" Eugene asked "Why is Adira so concerned about Varian?"   
The lady-in-waiting shook her head.  
"You really are hopeless" she stated, walking away towards the edge of the cliff.   
Eugene scoffed, following her.   
"Why's that?" he frowned, gazing at the black rocks intently.  
Cassandra sighed.   
"Quirin and Adira where friends, comrades, the last survivors of the Dark Kingdom's catastrophe, they shared a unique bond" she paused "now Quirin is gone for good, and Varian not only is his son, but a child from the same place as her, who almost died because she couldn’t reach him in time... you get were I'm going?"   
Eugene nodded.   
"You mean she will defend him even though she doesn't know him and he kinda tried to destroy Corona, because she feels responsible now that Quirin is gone, right?"   
"Yep"   
Eugene crossed his arms, his gaze landing on a formation of black rocks that looked like a dome.   
He thought about the way Adira had reacted, how she had wanted to protect the kid, even from the king...   
Varian sure is lucky to have her on his side, he thought.   
His thoughts drifted to Rapunzel, as always. She was also on Varian's side, he realized, she had put her life on the line for him. She had been the one who insisted to the king to give Varian the help he needed. And most importantly, Rapunzel had always believed that the little psychopath could eventually change...  
"Hey! Did you see that?" Cassandra elbowed him, pointing frantically at the point where he had been blankly staring at.   
Eugene's eyes widened.   
"Is that... who I think it is?"   
The black rocks that had previously been tightly shut on a dome-like formation where now parted and shining a bright white, revealing... no, it couldn't be.   
Cassandra's mouth hang open.   
But the blonde hair was unmistakable, her golden locks levitating softly in the air. Wearing the beautiful smile he had fallen in love with, her green eyes shining with determination and... happiness?   
And next to her stood a young boy, his hair floating and glowing in a icy-blue color. He wasn't wearing his signature gloves or apron, not even an evil grin. In fact, he was also half-miling and holding Rapunzel's hand, while the other hand gripped a black rock in the same position as Rapunzel.   
"So... I guess you were right about the blue hair" Cassandra said.   
Eugene had time to blink twice before the battle really begun.

Varian's POV:

The dome opened the moment their hands touched and Rapunzel hummed the song, Varian suppressed an excited laugh.   
Okay. It was irrational, impossible and probably a lot of other long words starting with 'i'. But it was happening.   
He felt so powerful, capable of doing anything if he wanted. And Rapunzel stood next to him, she was like a big sister to Varian now.   
He had been blind, lost in the darkness, but she, the sun, had freed him. It was time for the moon to be full again.   
"Are you ready?" She asked with a tense grin.   
Varian nodded eagerly, though, it was good to know that she was also nervous. It was the first time they were going to combine their powers, who knew what could happen?  
They where destruction and creation, light and darkness... he had the power to make black rocks sprout from the ground, and she could heal, counter and maintain the destruction under control. Add freakish-looking hair and you have a perfect powerful machine.   
Even if it was magic, and not science, which he felt much more comfortable with, he had to admit it was kinda cool. More than his glowing staff, anyways.   
Just then, he noticed a few grains of sand swirling in the ground and joining into a small hurricane. In the center of which Gothel's dusty body started to reform.   
Rapunzel gripped the black rock tighter, gritting her teeth.   
Creepy, he thought in disgust.   
" _You idiots!_ " the voice roared powerfully behind the hood " _None of you know what you are doing! YOU NEED ME! There is no way you can control that power without my help, you'll end up destroying the world!"_  
Varian felt his blood boil and the princess squeezed his hand.  
"We don't need the help of an old hag like you!" he shouted.   
"Varian, maybe it's not a good idea to..."  
Too late.   
She was already mad, Varian tried to convince himself.   
The wind roared in their ears, the sand once again scratching their clothes. Gothel had dissolved in a larger quantity of dust, forming a much bigger tornado which surrounded and prevented them from leaving.   
Varian hissed when he felt a quick grain of sand cutting his cheek.   
He took a moment to feel Rapunzel's emotions: she was scared, and anxious, and starting to doubt if the plan would work at all.  
Supposedly, there was a network of underground water that used to supply the well. Now, if they could just found out where it was, he could maybe be able to make it float the way his tears had floated. And if the sand turned wet, there was a small possibility that Gothel wouldn't be able to reform. That is if he could really attract water like the moon and if Gothel wasn't waterproof. Other than that the plan was flawless.  
"Try to concentrate on the water!" Rapunzel yelled.  
"You too!" he reaponded.  
As they were holding hands, their powers where shared, so in that moment they could both heal, control black rocks and maybe water.   
Varian closed his eyes.   
Water.   
Come on, H20.  
Float!  
Please?  
Both Rapunzel and him opened their eyes abruptly.  
"Found it!" they exclaimed at the same time.   
It wasn't a surprise, though, they were standing right were the well had been, it made sense that the water was right beneath them.   
It was a large mass, hopefully enough to trap Gothel if she didn't reform first.   
Varian concentrated, his hair floated wildly as well as Rapunzel's. He could only think of one word to describe what he was doing to the water. Pull.   
He pulled to the water, ordering it to abandon the laws of gravity.   
Some loose rocks from the ground did the same thing, but the black rocks stayed there, the ones closest to them glowing brightly.   
Gothel now seemed to have figured out what the plan was, and quickly rushed to reform to her flesh and blood body. But it was too late for her.  
" _STOP IT! Do you really think you can defeat me that easily_?” she growled.  
The hurricane was slowly dissipating as the dust got trapped in the big bubble of water that was under their control.   
" _I'm Mother Gothel, YOU FOOLS WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS, I'LL RETURN, I'LL MAKE YOUR LIVES A LIVING HELL, I'LL..."_  
Her voice started dying to simple whispers, Rapunzel and Varian continued to hold the water where the sand turned powerless and damp.   
" _Just you wait till I come back, there will be no mercy.._."   
And then, there was silence.   
They both stood there, panting. Not quite believing what had just happened.   
"Are you okay?" Rapunzel asked.   
"Yeah" he responded, other than the cut in his cheek and the exhaustion he was perfectly. "And you?"  
The princess nodded.   
"It's... heavy" she said, referring to the water above their heads.  
Varian understood what she meant.   
"What should we do now?" he said, pointing to the particles of sand in the water.   
Rapunzel frowned.   
"I think I have and idea, but for that you'll have to hold the water all by yourself"   
Varian nodded, letting go of her hand.  
He immediately felt the immense weight, he pushed it hoping it wouldn't fall down. With both hands, he hold the water, his feet sinking some inches into the ground.  
"Okay, now I'll try to push the sand into one corner" she stated. Her hand shot up to the air, separating and compressing the dust in one place.   
Amazing, Varian thought.   
"You can now drop the rest of the water" Rapunzel smirked.   
Varian breathed a sigh of relief, not even bothering to drop it away from them. It fell slowly like rain, making their already scratched and blood soaked clothes go wet. But they didn’t cared.   
His arms fell to his sides and Varian dropped to his knees panting heavily. Rapunzel remained holding the water that contained Gothel, her face twisted with concentration.   
"That was... incredible"  
"Yeah" the princess agreed with a smile " but its not finished yet"   
Varian frowned. "It isn't?"  
Rapunzel shook her head, her golden locks still levitating.   
The water was lowered slowly, Varian and Rapunzel walked towards it and looked at the sand inside of it.   
"Should we seal her inside a bottle or?"  
"No" Varian murmured.   
He looked at her green eyes. "We healed her with that white energy, right?"   
She nodded.   
"Then we should be able to destroy her with the same power..."  
"Now?!" Rapunzel asked in horror. They both were extremely tired, she didn't blame her for reacting like that.   
"No way" he responded, his face pale. “Although, maybe I could use the machine I used for the science fair, remember?”  
The princess put a hand on her chin, thinking, staring at the mess of black rocks they had caused and noticing that they were in a crater at the level of the well. She searched the edge of  the cliff.  
Suddenly, her face lit.   
"Hey, is that..? Eugene!"   
Varian turned around to see we're Rapunzel was looking at.   
The blood drained from his face. She was right, they were there, in fact, they were all there. The captain, the king, Eugene, Cassandra...  
A massive army of soldiers that would surely go after Corona's number one child genius criminal...   
He gulped.  
Rapunzel, watching this, put a hand on his shoulder, reading his feelings.   
"Don't worry, you aren’t going back to prison, I promised" she smiled "and I assure you I'll never go back on my word"  
Varian half-smiled at her, she wasn't tricking him, and he knew it because he could feel it.   
Rapunzel reached with one hand for the gash in his cheek while holding the water with the other.   
Varian felt a warm feeling as her fingers healed his wound.   
He needn't have to worry, Rapunzel would protect him.   
Just as a feeling of comfort settled in his chest, all black rocks returned to the ground, revealing a path for the people in the cliff to follow, leading towards both the sundrop and the moondrop.


	23. Friend

Cassandra's POV:

The lady-in-waiting watched anxiously as a ginormous sand hurricane started to form around Varian and Rapunzel. She was about to call the soldiers to retreat and regroup when suddenly, something amazing happened.   
Eugene's mouth hang open, staring intently at the large mass of water while it swirled around the glowing-headed freaks she had as friends.   
The sand got wet and slowly, the tornado started to fade away.   
It was only after Varian and Rapunzel trapped Gothel completely that they ceased to hear her gutural screams.  
The black rocks started sinking deep into the ground, leaving no trace that they had ever been there.   
And then there was silence.  
A silence Cassandra was hoping would break soon, she was getting impatient.   
She looked back at the soldiers standing behind her, brave men who had been in battle before stared with horror at the scenery beneath them.   
Unbelievable, Cassandra though.   
"Uh, what just happened? I mean, I know what happened but, the...the water and then that huge tornado and..." Eugene was positively shocked.   
"Keep it together, sticky boot" she replied harshly "and all of you, what are you waiting for?"   
The captain and the king exchanged dubious glances. "Ri...right" her father finally said.   
Cassandra then motioned the army towards the cliff, Eugene and her leading the soldiers and the king.   
She watched the two figures in the middle of the crater: Rapunzel was waving her arms frantically at them, wearing the brightest smile she could muster. And Varian, well, he looked kinda scared to be honest, but who wouldn't? The poor kid had been through hell: First, he lost his father, then he was thrown to prison, only to be kidnapped and tortured by a psycho witch.   
Cassandra glanced at the king, he would surely understand that Varian had been through enough punishment, right? Even she, a paranoid warrior/lady-in-waiting who almost died crushed by his automaton, could find a place in her heart to forgive him.  
"Cassandra!"   
The lady-in-waiting's head shot up to the voice. There she was. Her best friend, her first friend in fact.   
Rapunzel's golden hair levitated wildly in the air, standing right next to a figure with floating/glowing icy blue hair.   
"Geez, what am I, chopped liver?" Eugene grumbled.   
Nevertheless, they both run towards Rapunzel and were about to wrap her in a tight hug, when...  
"Careful!" She warned them.   
Her friends then noticed the compacted mass of water which was holding a sand version of Gothel.  
"Is that...?"   
"Yep" Rapunzel answered Eugene with a smile. "Do you happen to have an empty bottle or...?"  
Cassandra took a bottle of water from her satchel, emptying the content in the ground she hold it so that Rapunzel could use it.  
The princess nodded, turning her head towards Varian, who seemed to be hiding behind her. Cassandra tried to meet his eyes, but the boy only looked at the ground with... shame?   
"Varian, can you lend me some energy?" Rapunzel asked.   
Varian nodded slightly, still not daring to say anything. He placed a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, a white light shone during a second where he had touched her.  
Okay, that's new, Cassandra thought wide-eyed.  
Rapunzel easily bottled Gothel, and Eugene hurried to put the lid and sealed it inside her satchel.   
Cassandra was going to be in charge of getting Gothel to the palace: sure, why not?  
Eugene took a deep calming breath. "What were you thinking, blondie?!" he exploded "I was worried sick! Do you have any idea what you've put me thought? You were out for weeks! Don't you dare do something like that again!"   
The lady-in-waiting snorted. "She went missing for a day"  
Rapunzel giggled, reaching to give him a quick hug. "I'm sorry Eugene, I probably should have told you but... it was something I had to do alone"   
Behind her, Varian shifted uncomfortably.   
Casandra then took notice of how different he looked from the last time she'd seen him: it was obvious that he had been completely healed, judging by the lack of a corpse. But still, he was surprisingly thin and malnourished, his clothes were completely torn and soaked with blood. He even looked smaller, without his apron, googles and way-too-big leather gloves.   
But the greatest change was something that couldn't be seen, something only Rapunzel, Cassandra and maybe Eugene noticed. He had changed. He had redeemed himself.  
She could tell by the way he looked at the ground with remorse, by the glint in his eyes when Rapunzel had asked for help, they were the same innocent and happy eyes he used o have. And that meant.   
Varian was back.   
Cassandra reached for something inside her satchel and took a step towards the alchemist. He took a step back, maybe as a involuntary response after his days of imprisonment.   
"Hey, Varian" she said softly.   
He still wouldn't look at her.   
"Look at me" Cassandra demanded.  
He did as told, hesitantly.   
She pulled something out of the bag, and Varian stood there taken aback. He reached for the object in her hands and carefully took it.   
"My...my googles" he whispered.   
The cristal's were all shattered, the leader wet and old. But Cassandra could see that he was fighting back tears.  
Rapunzel looked at her curiously, even Eugene seemed interested.   
Varian put the broken googles back in place.   
And then, without thinking, Cassandra pulled into a hug the guy that had almost killed her.  
At first Varian didn't returned it, but then, slowly, his arms also wrapped around her. Cassandra could feel him shaking, to be honest, she was also at the verge of tearing up.   
When they separated, Varian wiped a few tears from his big round-shaped blue eyes.   
This time he looked directly at her.   
"I'm so sorry" he murmured.   
"You think she will forgive you by just saying...?" Eugene started.  
"No worries" she cut him off.   
Rapunzel grinned, and so did the rest of them, including the newly timid Varian.   
But that happiness wouldn't last long.

Eugene's POV:

So... Varian wasn't crazy anymore.  
And Cassandra had forgiven him, like, without yelling. She had actually hugged him.   
Seriously, that was so freaking impossible. The words, Cassandra (if there is a Cassandra reading out there, sorry) and hug just weren't meant to be used in the same sentence.  
Anyway, he was glad that Varian had left the dark side, because he knew that's what had happened. Rapunzel also looked kinda changed, but not in a bad way. She just seemed a whole lot more mature, it figures that being kidnapped (even for a day) does that to people.   
Rapunzel was also more protective towards Varian, who looked like a little kid without his gloves, apron and... uh, his evil laughter?   
Now he was smiling, but not in a creepy or I'm-about-to-kill-you-all way. It remembered him of his trademark toothy smile, before his father was encased.   
Huh, maybe the whole kidnapping thing had been something good, who knew?   
Thanks Gothel.   
Eugene cleared his throat.   
"Your hair is blue" he pointed out.  
Varian looked at him with renewed admiration, like back to the Flynn Rider days.   
"No kidding" the boy responded, reaching for a floating lock and watching it shine. "Rapunzel, is it going to stay this way forever?" he asked with alarm.   
Rapunzel shook her head calmly. "Just relax, and it will go back to normal, see?"   
And with that, Rapunzel closed her eyes and her hair lost all its glow. It levitated slowly to its original position and blonde color, the princess reopened her eyes. She leaned on Eugene, exhausted.   
Varian tried the same procedure, closing his eyes and it slowly went back to normal. Well, not completely normal, because it turned white instead of the usual black. Eugene supposed it was something like Rapunzel's, whose hair was originally brown but turned blonde with the effects of the flower.   
The boy sighed, looking paler because of the effort. "Normal, huh?"  
"Welcome to my world" Rapunzel murmured, referring to the exaggerated length of her hair.   
Cassandra patted his shoulder. "You'll get used to it"   
"Yeah, it doesn't look that bad" Eugene added.  
The lady-in-waiting elbowed him. "Not helping"  
Eugene rubbed his ribs, thinking that if she continued beating him like that she might actually break a bone.   
"There they are!"

Varian's POV:

The four of them turned around to see the captain, king Frederic and five guards walking towards them. Most of the soldiers had stayed at the edge of the cliff but a few of them were now surrounding them.   
"Dad!" Rapunzel run towards her dad with a smile.  
"Rapunzel"  he breathed.  
The king then apparently forgot that he was the monarch and had to remain stoic, and run to his daughter.   
The princess hugged the tall man, and the king let out a sigh of relief, the anxiety of the last few hours as well as any thought of revenge vanishing.  
Varian looked at the guards around them, he knew why they had chosen that formation, they expected resistance from Varian. They were going to capture him.   
The alchemist swallowed a lump in his throat and glanced at Cassandra, who didn't seem to notice the glare that her father was sending to his direction. Eugene seemed as oblivious as ever.   
Were they going to send him back to prison?  
No, Rapunzel had promised.   
She also promised she would help you, a voice in his head said.   
Not Gothel, but his own subconsciousness.   
He felt a strange feeling in his gut, something bad was about to happen.   
Right on cue.  
"Guards, arrest that boy!" The captain ordered, pointing at him.   
The guards didn't hesitate for a second, these weren't like Stan or Pete, they were soldiers trained for war, killing machines capable of anything. In comparison, snatching a fourteen-year-old by force was nothing.   
And that's what they did.  
Before Cassandra or anyone could react, two soldiers from behind them grabbed him roughly. They pinned his arms painfully behind his back, one of them pointed his sword very closely to his neck, but not enough to draw blood.   
Varian didn't resist, he was too tired after using  his power for the first time to try anything. Was he going to be incarcerated again? The thought made him want to cry, to curl up in a ball and disappear. But he didn't. He was also tired of whimpering, besides, he deserved it.   
"Stop! What do you think you are doing?"  
A woman's voice made the guards stiffen.   
She stepped between the rows of guards, holding a black rock sword and gritting her teeth. The woman was very tall, even taller than his own father. She dressed like some kind of soldier, half of her face painted with red paint.   
"As the king said before, Varian is a criminal of Corona and therefore he must atone for his..."  
Rapunzel walked slowly to the guards holding Varian, her hair was glowing dangerously, making his own hair shine in response.   
"Let him go" she warmed.   
Varian could feel the soldiers tremble slightly, they must have seen what Rapunzel was capable of. However, they didn't move.   
"Didn't you hear me? Get your hands off him!"   
This time they _did_ react.   
Both of them grunted before letting him go, and Varian dropped to his knees while his friends and the strange woman run to his side.   
"Are you okay, kiddo?" The woman asked.  
Varian nodded. "Who...who are you?" He asked.  
She smiled. "My name is Adira, and you could say I'm and old friend of your father, but that's not important now"   
Varian agreed with that.   
"What's the meaning of this!?" The captain bellowed irritated.   
"I could ask you the same thing" Adira responded with a frown "Were you going to order the arrest of a boy who's just escaped from a kidnapping?"  
He clenched his teeth. "This brat tried to destroy Corona, he deserves..."   
King Frederic held his hand up, silencing the captain immediately. "I think that's enough, Captain"   
The captain looked at him with a surprised look on his face. "But, your majesty, you said..."  
"Y know what I said" he cut him off, his eyes fixing on Rapunzel, Adira, Cassandra, Eugene and finally on Varian.   
He sighed. "But let's hear what my daughter has to say about this"   
Rapunzel took a step to the front while Cassandra and Eugene helped Varian up again.   
"Dad, Varian has changed, and I mean really changed" she said.   
"Yeah, not only the hair, your majesty" Eugene added pointing to his white head.  
Cassandra shushed him.   
The king raised a brow. "How can you tell he's not only faking being your ally? Can you guarantee me he won't go rogue again?" he asked.   
Rapunzel looked at him.   
"I can't guarantee you, but I know how he feels about this" she answered.   
The captain snorted.   
"It's true" Rapunzel insisted "after I healed him, Varian an I seemed to develop some kind of bond, I... I can't tell who he will be in the future but I know who he is now"   
"A who is that?" The king questioned roughly.   
The soldiers were now listening intently, it wasn't something very common to see the king and the future queen arguing about something as trivial as the fate of an average criminal.   
"He is our friend"


	24. Solutions

Arianna's POV:

The queen stood silently next to her husband, the king, waiting for the final decision conceiving Varian's future.   
It had been a difficult trial, balancing whether they should send the young boy back to prison or let him be free.   
"I think he has already been punished enough, Frederic" she had reasoned that same morning, two days after Rapunzel's retrieval "the boy was kidnapped and tortured, almost dying in the process, and yet he was able to help our daughter defeat Gothel"   
On the other hand, as many had exposed, Varian no longer was a defenseless teenager. He had almost unlimited moonpower. Meaning that a bad decision could provoque him a change of heart and make him try to attack Corona, again... which would definitely be a bad thing to occur considering that his strategic mind alone had been enough to pose a threat.   
Arianna sighed, such a conundrum.  
Rapunzel and her friends were all in favor of letting Varian run free, and to be honest, so was she. He had already suffered too much, and it wasn't as if he had vengeful thoughts anymore.   
During the trial he had explained his plan of freeing his father, using both his and Rapunzel's powers to break the amber.   
Supposedly, if the sundrop and moondrop where to combine their energies a white aura would appear which was capable of greater things that either of them could accomplish individually.   
It was intriguing, at the very least, but not enough to convince Frederic.  
Rapunzel had then stepped forward and told everyone about their bond, allowing them to share their feelings. This had come as a shocker to the audience, and they had asked some demonstrations about this and their healing abilities.   
Arianna could see the kingdom's elders thinking, whispering among themselves the military power the princess and that strange boy would add to their forces.   
They were slowly considering Varian as an ally, or more specifically a weapon.   
This made Queen Arianna slightly uncomfortable, but she pushed those thoughts aside, thinking that anything would be better than to send Varian to rot in a cell.   
Her gaze slowly scanned the audience, a bunch of old people that democratically assessed the king on difficult choices as the moondrop's fate. Finally, her eyes landed on Varian. A scrawny kid with white hair and baby blue eyes. Rapunzel was next to him, a comforting hand placed on his shoulder, her hair once again braided in intricate patterns.   
Cassandra and Eugene where also there, and so was Adira, who was sending menacing glares to whoever tried to get close to Varian.   
He looked to the ground, fidgeting his fingers with his bare hands. The boy was wearing a new pair of googles the lady-in-waiting had insisted to buy, as well as a new outfit similar to the one he used to wear, which had been torn and soaked in blood.   
Queen Arianna shuddered, so many things had happened since they arrived two days ago.  
At first everyone had been relieved that Rapunzel was OK, then that same relief had turned into anger towards Varian. The two of them had been awfully exhausted after their display of power, and Varian flinched every time someone tried to touch his wrists.   
Arianna had assumed he had been chained, which would explain his reaction, so she ordered the guards to leave the boy alone and lead him to one of the spare rooms in the castle under vigilance.  
The next day, Gothel's physical remains had been compressed and transformed into a crystal by Varian's reconstructed machine. Eugene kept claiming he had discovered a new material once again, gotholium.  
And so, the lump of gotholium had been sealed away in the depths of the castle's dungeons. Hopefully to be forgotten and remain dead...   
Queen Arianna was pulled from his thoughts when Frederic cleared his throat.   
All eyes in the room darted towards the king's throne, including Rapunzel's.   
Arianna bit her lip, wondering how would her daughter react if Varian, whom she had grown to care about as a brother, was sent back to his prison cell.   
"A decision has been taken" the king announced.   
Varian frowned slightly, the poor kid was probably fearing the worst.   
"I, the king of Corona, don't trust this young boy" he said pointing to Varian. Rapunzel opened her mouth to reply. "However" the king interrupted her. "It seems that my daughter truly thinks he has changed, and as the person that knows him the most in this room, I choose to trust her judgement"   
A few approving murmurs flooded the room, as well as the occasional scowl from one of the elders.  
Arianna couldn't help but smile.   
"Varian" the king commanded to him.   
The boy took a step forward, not daring to look up from the ground in case the king decided to change his mind.   
"Varian, you are free to go on the condition that you must free Quirin, understood?"  
Varian nodded eagerly. Rapunzel grinning at her father.  
And with that, Varian was no longer a criminal.

Varian's POV:

Varian took a deep breath, as if to steady himself for what he was about to do.  
He was standing in front of the amber prison that had encased his dad, who had his eyes and face twisted with pain and resignation.   
The princess was also there, trying to hide her guilt, even though Varian no longer blamed her for what had happened.  
And Adira, well, she had insisted to come.  
The stubborn-overprotective warrior wouldn't accept a no for an answer, reasoning that they might need her swordsman skills.   
The fact that Varian had tried (and failed) to raise her sword only made her more determined to accompany them.   
Oh, well, if something goes wrong we might actually need her, he thought.   
But just as his mind started to follow that depressing line of thought, he shook his head, it couldn't go wrong, he was determined not to fail.   
That might make his father proud.   
"Ready?" Rapunzel asked.   
He nodded without hesitation.   
And with that, Rapunzel took his hand and started singing.   
Her sweet voice echoed throughout the thick walls of his lab, some of his crystal science equipment vibrated.  
Before he knew, his hair had started to glow.   
To him came a feeling of overwhelming power, that same feeling that had come to him the first time he used his powers.   
He closed his eyes, focusing the energy on his hand. Rapunzel did the same.  
The white energy tingled his fingers, they stayed like this for over a minute.  
"I think it's enough" Varian said.  
"No, don't be impatient, wait for three more seconds" Rapunzel scolded him.   
They talked softly, until, suddenly, to Adira's surprise, they opened their eyes at the exact same time.   
With fierce determination, they extended their free hands, the white energy finally been let loose and directed to the amber.   
Both Rapunzel and Varian where expelled backwards by the force of the impact.   
Adira yelped.   
She run to the exhausted casters of such force.   
"You okay, squirt? Rapunzel?" she asked worriedly.   
"Never been better" she responded.  
But Varian didn't even answer, he was already halfway near the disintegrated amber, stumbling across fragments of the yellow cristal.  
"Dad!" he exclaimed, taking the large man's hand and searching for a pulse.   
His heart squeezed when he found none. "Ra...Rapunzel"   
She understood. "I'm here"   
Rapunzel hurried at his side and put her hand where Quirin's heart was supposed to be beating.   
Adira was now also kneeling next to him between the small fragments of amber. She paled. "Don't tell me..."  
"No" Varian cut her off.   
He met Rapunzel's gaze, a look in her eyes told him she already knew what he was going to ask her.   
"Adira, I suggest you take a step back"   
The warrior simply nodded.   
Varian put his hands on top of Quirin's chest while Rapunzel put hers on his shoulders.   
They didn't need words, the recent connection allowed them to feel each others plan.   
The white energy not only could destroy and control black rocks, it could also heal.   
It wouldn't be the first time their powers combined had deceived death, if not... Varian wouldn't be there.   
White light flooded the entire room, leaving everyone temporary blind as Rapunzel's melodic voice kept singing the magical chant Gothel had composed.   
In that moment, Varian understood he wasn't alone.   
It was true, Rapunzel had betrayed him, the entire kingdom had turned their backs on him. But not anymore, he thought as he smiled.   
His enemies where his friends again, including the motherly and overprotective Adira, and soon, his father would be back too.   
Varian's smile widened when he felt the sound of a heartbeat flood his ears.   
His father was alive.  
Rapunzel let go of her grip in his shoulders, just as his dad opened his eyes.   
He stared at him in confusion, and was about to say something (probably conceiving his son's sudden change of hair color and why wasn't he dead) when Varian tackled him in a hug.   
Tears of happiness fell down his cheeks as Quirin returned the hug, his strong arms wrapping around Varian's shaking form. “Varian, what happened?” His father’s raspy voice startled him. It was real, he was _really_ there.  
In the end, Varian thought happily, not only princesses can have happy endings.

“It’s a long story” at his right, Rapunzel smiled.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it.  
> I hope you liked this fanfict!


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